Alaska Airlines Introduces Portland 'Timbers Jet'

Carrier unveils new soccer-themed aircraft at Portland International Airport

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May 06, 2011, 02:30 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., May 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines introduced its Major League Soccer Portland "Timbers Jet" this morning to a crowd of fans in "Soccer City, USA." The Boeing 737-700 paint theme is a combination of two designs created by Paul Wright of Portland, Ore., and John Bode of San Mateo, Calif. The aircraft features the Portland Timbers' name and logo in the team's trademark colors with a rising sun across the forward part of the fuselage.

"The 'Timbers Jet' is a great example of why Alaska Airlines is a fabulous partner for our organization," Portland Timbers President Merritt Paulson said. "This is easily the best-looking plane you will find anywhere."

The two first-place designs were chosen from among 500 entries in a "Paint-the-Plane" contest. The "Timbers Jet" celebrates Alaska Airlines' pride in being the official airline and jersey sponsor of the Portland Timbers.

"Paul and John's winning designs came together seamlessly to create one of the most unique paint themes in our fleet," said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing. "The plane's iconic green and yellow colors will be hard to miss from the ground or in the air."

To celebrate the introduction of the "Timbers Jet," Alaska Airlines will extend early boarding privileges to Portland International Airport passengers wearing an official Timbers jersey throughout the 2011 MLS season.

Timbers Jet trivia:

The 737-700 has a wing span of 112 feet, 7 inches, and measures 110 feet in length.
The plane accommodates 124 passengers and five crew members.
With a 6,875-gallon fuel tank, the plane cruises at 530 mph, or mach 0.785, and can fly at a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet.
A crew of 18 people worked around the clock for 16 days to paint the plane.
The painting process required 130 gallons of paint, about 4,500 sheets of sandpaper and 51,000 feet of masking tape.

Note to news media: A high-resolution photograph of the "Timbers Jet" is available for download from the Alaska Airlines Newsroom image gallery at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom. Additional photos of the plane's arrival at Portland International Airport will be posted by 2 p.m. PST today.

About the Portland Timbers

On March 20, 2009, Major League Soccer (MLS) awarded Portland the league's 18th franchise to begin play in the top-flight professional soccer league starting in 2011. The Portland Timbers are playing their debut MLS season in a significantly renovated JELD-WEN Field that creates one of the most unique and authentic soccer environments in the country. New stadium amenities include better sightlines closer to the action, new premium seating on the east side of the field, a new KeyBank Club, an expansive Widmer Brothers bar area and a team store. The Timbers have been a beloved part of the Portland sports landscape since their early beginnings in the North American Soccer League in 1975, launching the era of "Soccer City, USA" in the Rose City.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines offers more nonstop flights (serving 29 different destinations), more daily flights (91 a day) and more California service (38 flights daily to 12 California destinations) from Portland International Airport than any other carrier. Customers can learn more at www.alaskaair.com/pdx.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines