Alaska Airlines started in 1932 when Linious 'Mac' McGee flew a three-seat Stinson between Anchorage and Bristol Bay. His company was called McGee Airways. Mergers during the Depression turned it into Star Air Service, then Alaska Star Airlines. The name Alaska Airlines was adopted in 1944. The carrier built a storied reputation for bush flying and daring operations, meaning tough trips into remote places.
In 1949 Alaska played a major role in Operation Magic Carpet, airlifting some 40,000 Yemenite Jews to the new state of Israel. Deregulation in 1978, when the government stopped setting routes and fares, let Alaska expand down the West Coast. It bought Horizon Air and Jet America in 1986. The airline recovered from the tragic Flight 261 crash in 2000 to become one of America's most admired carriers.
Alaska has won J.D. Power satisfaction awards repeatedly, with loyal fans in the Pacific Northwest. It bought Virgin America in 2016, gaining a big California presence and its first Airbus jets. In 2021 it joined oneworld, an alliance of airlines that work together. Alaska completed its Hawaiian Airlines purchase in September 2024, adding A330s, 787s, and a base in Honolulu. Nonstops from Seattle to Tokyo, Seoul, and Rome are planned.