Sky Briefing #001 — Alaska Discovers Europe
Strange week. On one side, history: Seattle gets its first-ever direct flight to Europe, 9,000 km nonstop, full Atlantic below. On the other, chaos — thunderstorms over Chicago plus ATC restrictions at Dallas, more than 4,000 flights grounded in a single day. And anyone in a north-facing window seat on the night of 17 April (UTC) — mid-Atlantic, northern track — saw the sky go green. Rare for a week to show so clearly that “flying” is at least two different things at the same time.
Skies
The northern lights reached one-third of the US, visible from 35,000 feet. A G2 geomagnetic storm on 17 April (UTC) pushed aurora down to the mid-latitude states; passengers on transatlantic routes reported green curtains sitting right at the winglet line, above the cloud deck. 2026 is statistically the best aurora year in over a decade — Solar Cycle 25 is outperforming every forecast. For upcoming North Atlantic crossings: left window seat on eastbound flights, night departure, and check the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center before you board.
Aviation
Alaska Airlines lands in Europe for the first time in 94 years. AS180 departed Seattle-Tacoma at 17:30 Pacific on 28 April 2026 and touched down at Rome Fiumicino the following afternoon — daily, on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, no stops. The airline that started in 1932 flying bush routes out of Fairbanks now parks at one of Europe’s busiest airports. Currently the only US carrier offering daily nonstop service between the West Coast and Italy.
Hawaiian Airlines still flies — but its booking system is now Alaska’s. On 22 April, Hawaiian migrated from Amadeus to Alaska’s Sabre platform: all flights now carry the AS code, boarding groups are A–F, and the shared app supports mobile boarding passes, flight changes, and infant reservations without a phone call. The Amadeus system, botched since a 2023 migration that had frustrated Hawaiian guests for years, is gone. If you have a Hawaii booking: your confirmation number still works, but log in fresh — the interface has changed.
Alaska Airlines technical milestone
United now flies nonstop from Newark to Split, Croatia. Three times a week from 30 April on a Boeing 767-300ER — the only direct link between the US and the Dalmatian coast. Travelers heading to Hvar, Brač, or Šibenik skip the Frankfurt or Munich layover entirely. Departures Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from Newark Liberty.
United Airlines via PR Newswire
4,173 delays in one day — the US air network, stretched past its limit. On 29 April, O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth collapsed simultaneously: storm cells over Chicago, ATC flow restrictions at DFW, a cascade that produced 489 cancellations and 4,173 delays nationwide — Atlanta alone logged 1,199 of them. This is not a weather story; it is the bill for a network built on spring capacity plans that no longer match reality. If you are connecting through Chicago or Dallas this week: 90-minute minimum connection, and never buy a carry-on-only ticket without a plan B.
because you need to know that this week Alaska passengers were landing in Rome while others were still sitting on the tarmac in Chicago.