Alaska Airlines has possibly revealed a new long-haul destination, Sydney, in their latest safety video for Boeing 787-9s. This has sparked speculation about the possibility of Alaska Airlines starting flights to the Australian city from Seattle, where the airline is based.

The inclusion of Sydney in the safety video, alongside other cities that are currently or will soon be served by Alaska Airlines from Seattle, suggests that the airline has plans to fly to this destination in the near future. However, there has been no official announcement from the airline or any other parties involved.

The potential nonstop flight from Seattle to Sydney would cover a considerable distance of 6,725 nautical miles (7,739 statute miles; 12,455 km) each way, making it the second-longest route from Seattle after Singapore. This route would also become Alaska Airlines’ longest nonstop flight, surpassing their current longest route from Seattle to Rome.

The airline had previously included Sydney in an investor relations document from 2024, where it was mentioned alongside other cities that have not been announced yet. This document also mentioned that Sydney’s location makes it better served from San Francisco or Los Angeles, rather than Seattle. However, if the flights do materialize, it would open up a new market for Alaska Airlines to serve from Seattle to Australia.

According to booking data, there is a relatively strong demand for travel between Seattle and Australia, with approximately 83,000 passengers flying between the two cities in the span of a year. Sydney was the most popular destination, followed by Melbourne and Brisbane. If Alaska Airlines starts flights to Sydney, they could potentially capture a significant portion of this point-to-point traffic, with the help of their alliance partner Qantas.

Seattle is currently Sydney’s second-largest unserved US market, with Las Vegas being the largest. However, with Qantas launching flights between the two cities later this year, Seattle would become the largest unserved market for Sydney. This, combined with Alaska Airlines’ plans to have 12 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030, makes it likely that Sydney will be the next addition to their route network.

Data analysis of booking trends for the 12 months leading up to February 2026 also indicates that other cities mentioned in Alaska Airlines’ investor relations document, such as Delhi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok, have a high demand for travel to and from Seattle. However, these routes may not be as profitable due to lower fares and a lack of premium traffic.

If Alaska Airlines does start flights to Sydney, it is expected that the route will operate three times a week during the northern winter (southern summer). This would allow the airline to focus on higher-yielding point-to-point traffic rather than aggressively promoting connecting flights through Seattle.

In conclusion, the inclusion of Sydney in Alaska Airlines’ safety video and investor relations document, as well as the strong demand for travel between Seattle and Australia, suggest that the airline has plans to launch flights