Alaska Airlines opened the first direct route between Seattle and Rome, Fiumicino strengthens its role as a major European hub
Alaska Airlines launched on April 28, 2026, the first direct route between Seattle and Rome, with which the American carrier formally stepped onto the European long-haul traffic market. It is a seasonal daily connection between Seattle-Tacoma Airport and Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport, which in the company’s announcements is presented as a historic link between the “Emerald City” and the “Eternal City”. For Alaska Airlines, this route is not only a new destination in the flight schedule, but an important step beyond the framework of a carrier whose international network for decades had been strongly focused on North America, Mexico, Central America and Hawaii.
The new route has a broader significance than the usual opening of a seasonal flight to a popular European destination. Seattle is Alaska Airlines’ home base and one of the most important air hubs on the west coast of the United States, while Rome in recent years has further strengthened its status as a gateway to Italy, the Mediterranean and southeastern Europe. The direct connection shortens travel between the Pacific Northwest of the USA and Italy, but also opens simpler connections for passengers from Alaska, Hawaii and other American markets in the network of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
The first European step after expansion across the Pacific
The launch of the flight to Rome comes after an important period of change for Alaska Air Group. In September 2024, the company completed the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, thereby gaining greater access to wide-body aircraft, long-haul experience and Pacific markets. It is precisely this combination that explains why the new European route is not viewed in isolation: Alaska Airlines is now trying to position Seattle as a global starting point that connects the northern Pacific, Hawaii, Asia and Europe.
In the carrier’s official announcements, Rome was highlighted as one of the most sought-after European destinations among members of the Mileage Plan loyalty program and as the largest European destination that until then had not had a direct connection with Seattle. Flights are operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, a long-haul model that entered the Alaska Air Group fleet through integration with Hawaiian Airlines. This gives the company a product suitable for the transatlantic market: a cabin with business class with lie-flat seats, a premium segment and economy class intended for longer flights.
It is also important that Rome is not the only European point in the new strategy. Alaska Airlines has also announced for 2026 a daily year-round Seattle – London Heathrow route from May 21 and a seasonal Seattle – Reykjavík route from May 28. Such a schedule shows that the company is not testing only one route, but is gradually building a transatlantic portfolio around Seattle. Rome is therefore the first flight to Europe and the symbolically most visible beginning of this phase of expansion.
Fiumicino uses the wave of new intercontinental connections
For Rome and Fiumicino Airport, the new route fits into the trend of growth in international traffic. According to data from the Italian aviation sector, the Roman airport system, which includes Fiumicino and Ciampino, recorded 55.3 million passengers in 2025, which was four percent more than the year before. At the same time, Fiumicino further strengthened its position as the largest Italian airport and one of the main entrances into the country for intercontinental passengers.
Rome is in a specific position on the European aviation map. The city is not only a tourist metropolis with exceptionally strong demand during spring, summer and autumn, but also a hub for travel to southern Italy, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa. That is precisely why new routes from North America and the Indian Ocean have double value: they bring direct passengers to Italy, but at the same time feed the connecting network toward other markets.
In this context, Air Seychelles is also often mentioned, which in March 2026 announced a new connection between Seychelles and Rome. That route, according to the carrier’s announcement, was introduced to strengthen Seychelles’ European connectivity at a time when changes in regional air traffic and reliance on Middle Eastern hubs increased the need for additional direct or semi-direct options to Europe. Although it is a different type of market from the Seattle – Rome route, both announcements point to the same conclusion: Fiumicino increasingly functions as an international point connecting different geographic directions.
Seattle builds the status of a global outlet to the Pacific and the Atlantic
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has in recent years expanded its international offering and is trying to position itself as an airport that is not important only for domestic American flights and transpacific connections. According to Port of Seattle data, the airport is served by 36 airlines, with 94 domestic and 33 international direct destinations, including seasonal operations. In such an environment, the new route to Rome also has a competitive dimension, because Seattle is already attracting the ambitions of major carriers that want to strengthen traffic to Europe and Asia.
Alaska Airlines has a special advantage in Seattle: a dense network of domestic connecting flights, a strong position on the west coast of the USA and traffic to Alaska and Hawaii. The opening of a direct route to Rome is therefore not intended only for passengers from Seattle itself. In a commercial sense, it is important whether the carrier can fill the aircraft with passengers who arrive in Seattle from Anchorage, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Maui and other markets where the group has a recognizable position.
The connection with Hawaii is especially significant. After the integration of Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Air Group has a broader Pacific reach, and Seattle can be used as a connecting point for passengers traveling between Hawaii and Europe. For the Italian market, this means opening simpler itineraries toward Pacific destinations, while for the American market the trip to Italy is shortened without connecting in traditional East Coast or Western European hubs.
Why Rome was chosen as the first European destination
The choice of Rome has clear market logic. Italy is one of the strongest tourist destinations in Europe, and Rome at the same time attracts cultural, business, religious and family arrivals. For airlines, such a combination reduces the risk of a seasonal route because demand does not come from only one segment. Passengers to Rome do not travel exclusively for vacation; part of the demand relates to round trips through Italy, connections with southern Europe, family visits, congresses, cultural events and religious tourism.
Alaska Airlines noted in earlier announcements that Rome was among the most desired European destinations in its customer base. Such demand is especially important for a carrier that relies on a loyalty program and on passengers from markets where it has a strong domestic presence. Unlike companies that build transatlantic routes around large international alliances in multiple hubs, Alaska Airlines is trying to use passenger loyalty and Seattle’s geographic strength.
The choice of destination is also influenced by the fact that Fiumicino is developing as an increasingly strong base for long-haul operations. The airport has a broad network of European and Mediterranean connections, and the Italian market after the recovery from the pandemic is recording strong demand for air traffic. When this is combined with the fact that Rome is a globally recognizable brand and a destination with high tourist visibility, the Seattle – Rome route becomes a natural first European move for a carrier that wants to emphasize its own international transformation.
Broader impact on passengers, tourism and aviation competition
The new transatlantic route affects passengers above all through simpler itineraries. A direct flight removes the need for a connection in cities such as New York, Chicago, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Paris, which reduces total travel time and the risk of missed connections. For passengers coming from smaller cities in the Alaska Airlines network, connecting in Seattle can become a more logical option than traveling through major eastern hubs.
For tourism, the effect is more complex than the mere number of new seats. Direct routes often change the perception of distance between two markets: a destination that previously required two or three flights becomes more accessible, and this can affect travel decisions, length of stay and the distribution of spending. Rome and Italy thereby gain an additional channel toward passengers from the Pacific Northwest of the USA, while Seattle gains greater visibility in Europe as an entry point for travel to the American West, Alaska and Hawaii.
Competition will also not remain static. Delta Air Lines has announced its own route between Seattle and Rome for 2026, opening space for direct competition on the same route. This can bring a greater supply of seats and a wider choice of times, but at the same time it requires precise management of prices, load factors and seasonality from the carriers. In the transatlantic market, the success of a new route depends not only on the attractiveness of the destination, but also on the ability to maintain a sufficient ratio of leisure, premium and connecting passengers throughout the season.
The new map of air connections shows a change in priorities
The opening of the Seattle – Rome route fits into a broader change in global air traffic. After the pandemic disruption and the recovery of international travel, airlines are increasingly looking for direct connections between markets that previously depended on transfers. Such routes do not always have to be year-round to be important; seasonal routes to strong tourist and cultural destinations can have a significant effect if they are well aligned with the peak of demand.
For Alaska Airlines, European expansion also means a change of identity. A carrier that was long recognized for the west coast of the USA, Alaska and the network to Hawaii now wants to present itself as a global player with its own long-haul product. The introduction of Dreamliners, new international visual solutions and expansion toward London, Reykjavík and Rome are part of the same message: Seattle is no longer viewed only as a domestic and Pacific hub, but also as a starting point for transatlantic flights.
For Fiumicino, meanwhile, the new route confirms the ambition to remain among the main European airports for intercontinental traffic. Alongside growth in the total number of passengers, the strengthening of links with North America and new arrivals of carriers from distant markets, Rome’s airport gains additional weight in the network that connects the Pacific, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. Alaska Airlines’ route to Rome is therefore not only a new seasonal service, but a sign that the maps of global connectivity are changing toward a larger number of direct links outside traditional hubs.
Sources:- Alaska Airlines / PR Newswire – announcement on the launch of the first direct Seattle – Rome route- Alaska Airlines – details of ticket sales and the seasonal daily route to Rome- Alaska Airlines – announcement of Rome as the first European destination from Seattle- Alaska Airlines – completion of the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines- Alaska Airlines – announcement of the daily Seattle – London Heathrow route- Alaska Airlines – announcement of the seasonal Seattle – Reykjavík route- Aeroporti di Roma – official traffic data of the Roman airport system- Aeroporti 2030 – overview of traffic at Roman airports in 2025- Port of Seattle – list of airlines and direct destinations of Seattle-Tacoma Airport- Air Seychelles – announcement on the new route to Rome and strengthening of European connectivity
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