Alaska Airlines announced on October 28, 2026, that it will launch nonstop service between Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) on May 13, 2027, subject to government approval. The seasonal service will operate daily through September 7, 2027, with fares starting at $999 round-trip for introductory travel dates. Service is then scheduled to resume three times weekly beginning January 2028, per the Alaska Airlines press release.
The route will be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, with a scheduled outbound block time of eight hours and 15 minutes. The route spans approximately 3,433 miles, according to Aviation Week. The MAX 8 was selected over the MAX 10 due to its longer range. The aircraft is configured with 16 First Class seats and 145 Main Cabin seats.
Flight AS21 is scheduled to depart Anchorage at 2:10 PM and arrive in Tokyo the following day at 3:25 PM local time. The return service, AS22, departs Narita at 9:45 PM and arrives in Anchorage at noon the same calendar day, with a published flight time of seven hours and 15 minutes, per Simple Flying.
Alaska Airlines regional vice president Marilyn Romano described the route as opening new opportunities for tourism and commerce. The Anchorage-Tokyo launch forms part of a wider 2027 Anchorage expansion that also includes new nonstop routes to Nashville, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth, which the airline says will create its largest nonstop schedule from Alaska in its history as the carrier approaches its 95th anniversary.
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Things to do at each end of the route
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