SkyWest Airlines to add 7 CRJ700s for American ops

SkyWest Airlines (United States of America) (OO, Salt Lake City) has said in its quarterly earnings release that it will add seven used CRJ700s to operate them under a multi-year contract with American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) starting in early 2020.

The contract covers ten CRJ700s in total. SkyWest will source the other three units internally as it upgauges its operations on behalf of Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) from CRJ700s to CRJ900s.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, SkyWest Airlines currently operates 103 CRJ700s, of which sixty-three are operated on behalf of American Airlines under the American Eagle brand. SkyWest also operates twenty-one CRJ700s under the Delta Connection brand. The remaining units are operated for United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) as United Express.

In terms of its agreement with Delta, SkyWest Airlines said it expected to remove four CRJ900s in 2020 and to return those aircraft to the lessor. It plans to add four more E175s for the Delta contract in mid-2020, as well as one CRJ900 in the third quarter of 2019 and eight such jets in 2020. The Embraers will be financed by SkyWest itself, while the CRJs will be financed by Delta.

"SkyWest expects to remove a used CRJ700 from its contract with Delta as each of these CRJ900 financed by Delta is placed into service," the airline said.

SkyWest currently operates forty-two CRJ900s and 151 E175s, as well as three CRJ100s and 184 CRJ200s.

During the quarterly investor call, the carrier said that the acquisition of the CRJ programme from Bombardier Aerospace by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was an "important development".

"We're certainly disappointed that the production line is closing down... This is something that we look forward to working with Mitsubishi going forward and finding some new ways to develop this fleet into our existing fleet and just work within the parameters that they have with also their new aircraft as well," CEO Russell Childs said.
SkyWest Airlines is the world's largest operator of CRJ regional jets.

Ch aviation