Alaska Airlines sets launch date for first Europe route

Alaska Airlines has set an April 28 launch date for its Seattle-Rome service. The seasonal route had been slated to operate four times per week, but service has been bumped to daily.

Alaska also will begin flights next spring from Seattle to London Heathrow and Reykjavik, Iceland. The three routes will be the carrier's first ones to Europe.

Alaska will fly Seattle-Rome with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, competing against Delta, which will begin Seattle-Rome service this summer. Delta's flights will utilize Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, flying four times weekly beginning May 6.