Alaska Air Group’s (ALK Quick QuoteALK - Free Report) Alaska Airlines announced that the company has launched regularly scheduled commercial service from Los Angeles on the U.S. West coast to Havana. The company will use a Boeing 737-900ER for this route. Passengers would be offered several facilities such as onboard free and premium entertainment, food and beverages, comfortable interiors with leather seats and adjustable headrest, and power outlets.

The first segment of the flight will fly from Seattle to Los Angeles and then onward to Havana. The return flight will follow the same route, in reverse. Notably, Alaska Airlines had previously operated chartered planes to Cuba as part of the U.S. Military Airlift Command in the early 1970s, to Guantanamo Bay, in addition to chartered flights to Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Panama.

We expect the airline to see an increasing demand for this new route, as Cuba becomes a popular destination for tourists. Other airlines flying to Cuba include United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL Quick QuoteUAL - Free Report) , American Airlines Inc. (AAL Quick QuoteAAL - Free Report) , and JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU Quick QuoteJBLU - Free Report) .

Passengers on the Inaugural Flight

Besides being the first commercial flight from the region to Havana, the flight also has an interesting passenger list, including 50 political, business and cultural leaders from Washington and California. These passengers are participating in an educational and trade mission to develop a better understanding of Cuba. Notably, the delegation includes representatives from over 20 economic, trade and educational organizations.

Zacks Rank

Alaska Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

We note that the company’s stock has outperformed the broader Zacks categorized Transportation-Airlines industry. The company gained 27.02%, while the industry gained 19.56% over the same period.

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