Alaska Air Group Reports First Unaided Profit Since 2019

(Seattle, WA ) -- SeaTac-based Alaska Air Group is reporting its first unaided profit since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The parent company of Alaska Airlines announced Thursday that it turned a quarterly profit of 194-million dollars for the third quarter--making it the company's first profit since 2019 that wasn't supported by government grants. It's also a major jump from last year, when Alaska Air reported a net loss of 431-million dollars for the same quarter.

Company management stated that it plans to hire roughly 3,000 people next year as part of an aggressive growth plan. However, Alaska Airlines pilots held a news conference the same day protesting stalled contract talks and general unhappiness within the pilot ranks.