Des Moines International Airport will add a new nonstop destination next year when Alaska Airlines begins daily service to Seattle, airport officials announced Thursday. The route is scheduled to start in June 2027, creating a direct connection between central Iowa and the Pacific Northwest.
A new carrier and a new route
The Seattle flights will be operated by Alaska Airlines, which will become the seventh passenger airline serving Des Moines International Airport. For travelers in the Des Moines area, the service will remove the need to make a connection when flying between the two cities. The airport described the addition as an expansion of travel choices and connectivity for central Iowa.
“New travel opportunities and expanded connectivity to central Iowa.”
That description came from the Des Moines Airport Authority in announcing the route. The new service will give passengers another option for reaching Seattle while also broadening the list of airlines available at the Des Moines airport. The announcement did not identify any additional Alaska Airlines destinations from Des Moines.
Flight schedule
Alaska Airlines provided the planned departure and arrival times for both directions. The schedule is listed in local time, according to the airline.
| Route | Departure | Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle to Des Moines | 9 a.m. | 2:42 p.m. |
| Des Moines to Seattle | 3:27 p.m. | 5:36 p.m. |
The service is planned as a daily flight, giving passengers a recurring nonstop option rather than a limited or occasional connection. The timing provides a same-day arrival in either direction, based on the schedule released with the announcement. The route is expected to serve both people traveling from central Iowa and visitors coming into the Des Moines area from Seattle.
Another major event headed to Des Moines
The airport announcement also coincided with news about a significant future event for the metro area. Catch Des Moines CEO Trina Flack announced that the National Speech and Debate Tournament will return to Des Moines in 2028 and 2031.
Des Moines previously hosted the tournament in 2024 and 2025. According to Flack, the event brings thousands of students, coaches and families to the metro during the summer. Its return will provide additional large-scale visitor activity in future years, while the new Seattle route is scheduled to begin well ahead of those tournaments.
What the announcement means locally
Together, the announcements point to continued demand for air service and large events in Des Moines. The Alaska Airlines route will give residents a direct way to travel between central Iowa and Seattle, while the tournament’s scheduled returns will bring a substantial student and family audience back to the metro. The airport’s expanded carrier lineup and the event announcements offer two distinct forms of connectivity: one for air travelers and another for visitors arriving for a national competition.
- Launch: Daily nonstop service is scheduled to begin in June 2027.
- Airline: Alaska Airlines will become the seventh passenger carrier at Des Moines International Airport.
- Destination: The route will connect Des Moines directly with Seattle.
- Future events: The National Speech and Debate Tournament is scheduled to return in 2028 and 2031.
For Des Moines travelers, the most immediate change will be the addition of a direct Seattle option to the airport’s schedule next summer. The route also gives the airport another airline partner as local officials work to expand connections from central Iowa. The tournament announcements add a longer-term dimension, ensuring that the metro will again prepare to welcome thousands of students, coaches and families in the years ahead.
