Alaska Airlines cancels several daily flights amid delays in plane delivery

Alaska Airlines has announced the cancellation of more than a dozen flights each day through the end of July, citing delays in the delivery of new aircraft caused by U.S. tariffs on Brazilian imports.

The Seattle-based carrier revealed it would postpone accepting delivery of two Embraer 175 regional jets, originally scheduled to enter service this summer with Horizon Air, Alaska’s regional subsidiary, Caliber.Az reports, citing CBS News.

The move aims to avoid the additional costs imposed by a 10% tariff on Brazilian aircraft parts and imports, which has been in effect since April.

“We deeply regret the impact this situation will have on our guests this summer,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement to CBS News. “Amid the ongoing uncertain economic environment, we are focused on controlling what we can control — including costs, productivity, operational performance, and taking care of our guests to the best of our ability. As part of this effort to control our costs, Alaska will not accept additional costs imposed by tariffs throughout our supply chain.”

Horizon Air operates all flights on Embraer jets, while Alaska Airlines maintains an all-Boeing fleet. Without the new Embraer jets, Alaska must reduce capacity, leading to 14 daily flight cancellations. To minimise disruption, the airline is cutting flights on routes served multiple times per day, ensuring no single route is fully eliminated.

When deciding which flights to cancel, Alaska emphasised its focus on minimising inconvenience. “We put our guests at the centre of consideration. We don't take these decisions lightly as we know it means disruption for our guests and their travel plans. We assessed our network and protected the communities we serve that already have limited service. Our teams are working to reaccommodate all impacted guests on the next best option for their travel plans,” the airline said.

The impact of President Trump’s tariff policies has been felt across various industries, with many businesses facing supply chain disruptions and increased costs. The aviation sector has also warned that these levies could disrupt operations and raise expenses.

Earlier this year, Delta Air Lines took strategic steps to avoid tariff costs by routing the delivery of new Airbus A350 aircraft through Japan before bringing them into the U.S., thereby circumventing the tariffs on new imports.

The delayed Embraer jets were expected to arrive in the U.S. from Brazil by May and bolster Horizon Air’s summer schedule across the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, California, Colorado, Utah, and western Canada.

By Khagan Isayev