Boeing and Alaska are joined at the hip. It's all part of the Seattle "hometown airline" image. Boeing will eventually take those Airbus planes in trade for new Max aircraft, and remarket them. Notably, despite the "first delivery" show that Airbus put on in France, it appears the highest ranking company official in attendance from Alaska/Virgin was the acting CEO, a current holdover from VX, who reports to Alaska. Alaska brass treated it like it was Typhoid Mary.
