SkyWest Airlines

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox airline

SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah. SkyWest operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed, and sold by four partner mainline airlines. The company is contracted by Alaska Airlines (as Alaska SkyWest), American Airlines (as American Eagle), Delta Air Lines (as Delta Connection), and United Airlines (as United Express). In all, it is the largest regional airline in North America when measured by fleet size, number of passengers carried, and number of destinations served — and one of the largest airlines worldwide in terms of fleet size.

SkyWest operates from 258 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico with an extensive network of routes largely set up to connect passengers between smaller airports and the large hubs of its partner airlines. In total, SkyWest carried 38.6 million passengers in 2023.

On an average day in 2024, the company operated 2,190 flights, of which 890 (Template:Percentage) were United Express flights, 700 (Template:Percentage) were Delta Connection flights, 380 (Template:Percentage) were American Eagle flights, and 220 (Template:Percentage) were Alaska Airlines flights.

History

Former Embraer EMB 120 in SkyWest livery

Frustrated by the limited extent of existing air service, Ralph Atkin, a St. George, Utah, lawyer, purchased Dixie Airlines on April 26, 1972, to shuttle businessmen to Salt Lake City.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After early struggles, SkyWest began a steady expansion across the western U.S. It became the eleventh largest regional carrier in 1984 when it acquired Sun Aire Lines of Palm Springs, California, and had its initial public offering in 1986.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In early 1986, SkyWest began codesharing as Western Express, a feeder service for Western Airlines at its Salt Lake City hub and other mainline Western destinations utilizing Embraer EMB 120 and Fairchild Metroliner turboprop aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the acquisition and merger of Western by Delta Air Lines in 1987, SkyWest then became a Delta Connection air carrier with codeshare service being flown on behalf of Delta to destinations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.<ref name="History">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="departedflights.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

From 1995 through 1997, SkyWest operated codeshare service for Continental Airlines as Continental Connection on flights out of Los Angeles that were also operated as Delta Connection.

In 1997, SkyWest began operating as United Express in addition to Delta Connection on flights out of United Airlines hubs at SFO, LAX and DEN. SkyWest became United's largest United Express operation by the late 1990s. Flights were initially operated with Embraer EMB 120s and Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets. CRJ700s were added in the early 2000s and the Embraer 175 were added in 2014.

A partnership with Continental was revived in 2003 as Continental Connection out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston but was discontinued in June 2005. This operation used Embraer EMB 120s.

On August 15, 2005, Delta sold Atlantic Southeast Airlines to the newly incorporated SkyWest, Inc., for $425 million in cash.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The acquisition was completed on September 8, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2007, SkyWest began code sharing with Midwest Airlines at its hubs in Milwaukee and Kansas City using Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft. In 2010 the codeshare with Midwest had ended, and a new codeshare agreement began with AirTran Airways at Milwaukee. On September 6, 2011, AirTran Airways ended its codesharing and partnership with SkyWest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly after, SkyWest began a codesharing agreement with US Airways to operate CRJ200 aircraft from US Airways' hub in Phoenix, Arizona.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On August 4, 2010, SkyWest, Inc., announced that it planned to acquire ExpressJet and merge it with SkyWest subsidiary Atlantic Southeast Airlines in a deal reported to have a value of $133 million. The purchase aligned the largest commuter operations of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, who were in a merger process, and was approved on September 13, 2010, by the Federal Trade Commission.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2011, SkyWest replaced Horizon Air on six routes on the West Coast being operated for Alaska Airlines. The flights were based out of Seattle and Portland and flew to several California cities, including Fresno, Burbank, Santa Barbara and Ontario. Horizon Air had been operating these routes with Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft; however Horizon retired this aircraft from its fleet. Alaska Airlines had a similar agreement with PenAir for Alaskan flights and Horizon Air for flights in the lower 48.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On November 15, 2012, SkyWest began a capacity purchase agreement with American Airlines for 12 Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft operating as American Eagle from American's hub in Los Angeles, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This codeshare agreement with American was greatly expanded over the next several years to include destinations from American's hubs at Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Phoenix. Larger CRJ700/900 aircraft were introduced to the American Eagle system in 2016, and the smaller CRJ200s were discontinued in 2020. Embraer 175 aircraft joined the American Eagle system in late 2021.

Embraer 175, owned and operated by SkyWest for Alaska Airlines

On September 6, 2017, SkyWest Airlines reported that it has entered into aircraft purchase agreements and capacity purchase agreements to acquire and fly 15 new aircraft with Delta Air Lines and 10 new aircraft with Alaska Airlines. Of the 25 aircraft, 15 Embraer 175SC aircraft will fly under an agreement with Delta in a 70-seat configuration. The Embraer 175SC is built on the same airframe as other Embraer 175 aircraft and can be retrofitted to 76 seats in the future. The agreement with Alaska includes 10 Embraer 175 aircraft which will be configured with 76 seats, similar to aircraft SkyWest has previously placed into service with Alaska. Expected delivery dates of the 25 aircraft run from March 2018 through the end of 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On December 18, 2018, SkyWest, Inc. announced that it would sell ExpressJet Airlines to another airline holding company with ties to United Airlines, ExpressJet's sole client.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The $70 million sale closed on January 23, 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In early 2024, regional carrier SkyWest Airlines purchased a 25% ownership stake of Contour Airlines to gain access to its infrastructure, personnel, and operational expertise as it launches its own Part 135 operation. SkyWest also plans to supply Contour with CRJ200 aircraft and partner with the airline to both recruit young pilots and provide opportunities to pilots who would otherwise need to retire due to age.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2024, SkyWest Airlines signed a deal with United Airlines to operate an additional 20 Embraer 175 aircraft for United Express. Unlike other aircraft, these are financed by United Airlines, not SkyWest.<ref name="Wolfsteller 2024">Template:Cite web</ref>

Corporate affairs

Business model

Approximately 87% of SkyWest's flights operate under capacity purchase agreements. Under a capacity purchase agreement, the partner airline generally pays a fixed-fee for each departure, flight hour (measured from takeoff to landing, excluding taxi time) and block hour (measured from takeoff to landing, including taxi time) and an amount per aircraft in service each month with additional incentives based on completion of flights, on-time performance and other operating metrics. The remaining 13% of flights are operated under a pro-rate agreement, with SkyWest assuming all costs, setting fares, retaining all revenue from non-connecting passengers, and splitting the fares of connecting passengers on a pro-rated basis with the partner airline. SkyWest currently operates on a pro-rate agreement with United Airlines utilizing approximately 25 CRJ200 aircraft, and with Delta Air Lines utilizing 16 CRJ700/CRJ550 aircraft and 1 CRJ900 aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of early 2021, SkyWest operates in 50 smaller cities that are subsidized under the federal government's Essential Air Service program. 36 are served under the United Express brand and 14 under the Delta Connection brand. The state of Wyoming subsidizes service to four other airports in Wyoming and operates under the United Express brand. All subsidized routes are flown with Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets.

Financials

SkyWest is a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc., an airline holding company that also provides contract ground handling services. SkyWest Airlines’ performance figures are fully incorporated into the accounts of its parent company, SkyWest, Inc. SkyWest Airlines stand alone figures ('SkyWest Airlines segment' data in the Group accounts) are shown below:

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Revenue (in millions of US$) 1,930 1,828 1,874 1,848 1,935 2,173 2,346 2,479 1,637 2,615 2,900 2,835 2,905
Profit before tax (in millions of US$) 106 140 76 182 23 263 307 250 Template:Color 151 93 40 139
Number of passengers (in millions) 40.3 43.7 21.3 36.6 40.1 38.6 42.3
Number of aircraft Template:Efn 334 362 348 368 422 470 483 452 509 517 485 492
Notes/sources <ref name="2013 Report" /> <ref name="2014 Report" /><ref name="2013 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2015 Report" /><ref name="2014 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2016 Report" /><ref name="2015 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2017 Report" /><ref name="2016 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2018 Report" /><ref name="2017 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2019 Report" /><ref name="2018 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2019 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Efn<ref name="2020 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2021 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2022 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2023 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> <ref name="2024 Report">Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Notelist

Network

Template:As of, SkyWest flies to 253 destinations throughout North America across 45 states and Washington D.C., 7 Canadian provinces and 10 Mexican cities.<ref name="Fact Sheet" />

Template:Col-float Hubs<ref name="Fact Sheet" />

Template:Col-float-break Crew bases<ref name="Fact Sheet" />

Template:Col-float-break Maintenance bases<ref name="Fact Sheet" />

Template:Col-float-end

Fleet

A Bombardier CRJ700, owned and operated by SkyWest for United Express
Embraer 175, owned and operated by SkyWest for Delta Connection

Current fleet

SkyWest has the largest fleet of any regional airline in the United States. Since 2015, the airline has exclusively operated jet aircraft. Most SkyWest aircraft are painted in the livery of partner carriers, but SkyWest does have a small number of aircraft in its own livery that can be operated for any partner airline as needed.

SkyWest is a major operator of the Bombardier CRJ family of regional jets, was the launch customer for CRJ200, is the largest operator of the CRJ200 and took delivery of the last CRJ ever built, a CRJ900.<ref name="Swartz 2021">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="SkyWest History">Template:Cite web</ref> The airline is also the largest operator of the Embraer 175.<ref name="Embraer order 2025-06">Template:Cite web</ref>

Like most regional airlines in the United States, SkyWest is subject to scope clause requirements of its mainline carrier partners and their pilot unions; those requirements limit the size of the aircraft flown by a regional airline, measured in seat capacity.

Template:As of, SkyWest Airlines operates the following aircraft:<ref name="SEC Report">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Embraer order 2025-06" />

SkyWest Airlines fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Operated for Notes
F Y+ Y Total
Bombardier CRJ200 77 — — 4 46 50 United Express
18 — — 30 — 30 SkyWest Charter
Bombardier CRJ550 14 5 10 20 20 50 Delta Connection All are transfers of previous CRJ700 aircraft.
20 30 10 20 20 50 United Express All are transfers of previous CRJ700 aircraft.
Bombardier CRJ700 68 — 9 16 40 65 American Eagle
5 9 12 44 65 Delta Connection
9 16 44 69 All CRJ700 to be replaced by Embraer 175 in 2027.<ref name="Embraer order 2025-06" />
15 6 16 48 70 United Express To be replaced by Embraer 175 by 2026 and converted into CRJ550.<ref name="Hardee 2023">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="SEC Report" />
Bombardier CRJ900 35 — 12 20 38 70 Delta Connection 11 aircraft to be replaced by Embraer 175 in 2027.<ref name="Embraer order 2025-06" />
44 76
Embraer 175 42 1 12 16 48 76 Alaska Airlines Delivery scheduled for 2026.
20 — 12 20 44 76 American Eagle
37 — 12 20 38 70 Delta Connection
49 16 44 76 Deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027.
56 14 12 32 26 70 United Express Deliveries scheduled through 2026.<ref name="Hardee 2023" /><ref name="Wolfsteller 2024" />
59 — 16 48 76
— 44 Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027. Options for additional 50.<ref name="Embraer order 2025-06" />
Fleet total 515 110

Note: the above chart only shows aircraft in scheduled service. It does not include aircraft owned by SkyWest but that are: leased to other operators, removed from service, transitioning between agreements with partners, used as spares, parked, or in the process of being parted out.<ref name="SEC Report" />

Historical fleet

SkyWest previously operated Embraer EMB 120 turboprop aircraft until 2015. The airline also operated Fairchild Metroliner turboprops.<ref name="History" /> In 1984, SkyWest was operating the largest Metro propjet fleet in the world with 26 aircraft, and by 1991 the Metro fleet had grown to 35 aircraft with 15 Brasilia propjets also being operated.<ref name="History" /> By 1994, the first jet, a Bombardier CRJ100, was added to the fleet and by 1996 all of the Metro propjets had been retired as they were progressively replaced with Brasilia aircraft.<ref name="History" /> SkyWest was also the launch customer for the CRJ200 regional jet.

According to the airline's website, at its inception SkyWest was operating all flights in the early 1970s with small propeller-driven, piston-engine aircraft, including:<ref name="History" />

Lawsuits

In October 2023, SkyWest was sued by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), who alleged that the company illegally fired two flight attendants as retaliation for engaging in protected union organizing activities and that the company illegally stood up a company union in violation of the Railway Labor Act.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2024, the US Department of Labor also sued SkyWest, alleging that company financially supported and controlled the SkyWest Inflight Association (SIA) as a company union, and that the SIA under SkyWest's control failed to perform its duties as a representative agency and illegally barred two employees from running for leadership positions due to their support for an independent labor union.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Accidents and incidents

See also

Template:Portal

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category

Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=SkyWest_Airlines&oldid=179024"