SkyWest Airlines

Big-picture snapshot

SkyWest Airlines is the largest regional airline in the United States, operating approximately 487 aircraft across 19 domiciles under codeshare agreements with all four major U.S. carriers — United, Delta, American, and Alaska. It is a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. (NYSE: SKYW), headquartered in St. George, Utah, and employs approximately 5,000 active pilots. Russell "Chip" Childs has been CEO of SkyWest, Inc. since January 2016.

For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame SkyWest is this: it is the premier regional airline in the U.S. — the largest, the most financially stable, the only regional that has never furloughed a pilot in 50+ years of operations, and the only major regional with an independent (non-ALPA) pilot group. SkyWest offers rapid captain upgrades (as fast as 1.5 years), 19 domicile options across the country, and flying for all four mainline partners. It generated $4.1 billion in revenue and $428 million in net income in FY2025 — one of the strongest financial performances of any regional carrier in history.

For most pilots, SkyWest is a stepping stone to a mainline career. But the combination of upgrade speed, domicile flexibility, no-furlough history, and financial stability makes it the regional of choice for many aspiring airline pilots.

Company history

• 1972: SkyWest Airlines founded; first flights begin in Utah
• 1986: Began codesharing as Western Express for Western Airlines at its Salt Lake City hub
• 1987: Following Western Airlines' acquisition by Delta, SkyWest became a Delta Connection air carrier
• 1994: SkyWest, Inc. listed on NASDAQ (ticker: SKYW)
• 1997: Began operating as United Express in addition to Delta Connection
• 2005: Acquired Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) — became SkyWest, Inc.'s second airline subsidiary
• 2010: Began American Eagle flying for American Airlines
• 2016: Russell "Chip" Childs became CEO of SkyWest, Inc.
• 2018: ASA merged into ExpressJet Airlines (later shut down 2020)
• 2020: Survived COVID-19 without furloughing a single pilot — maintained its 50+ year no-furlough streak
• 2023: Added Alaska Airlines as fourth mainline partner
• 2025: Ordered 16 new Embraer E175 aircraft plus options for 94 more; $4.1 billion annual revenue; $428 million net income; reached multi-year contract extensions with United (40 E175s) and Delta (13 E175s); ALPA organizing effort underway
• 2026: SAPA agreement expires — union organizing campaign intensifying; continued E175 fleet expansion

Business model

SkyWest's business model is the capacity purchase agreement (CPA):

• Capacity purchase agreements: SkyWest operates flights branded as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle, and Alaska Airlines under long-term contracts where the mainline carrier pays SkyWest a fixed rate per departure/block hour. The mainline carrier sells the tickets, controls the schedule, and takes the revenue risk. SkyWest provides the aircraft, crew, and operation. This model insulates SkyWest from fuel price swings and demand fluctuations — the mainline partner bears those risks.
• Four mainline partners: SkyWest is the only regional airline flying for all four major U.S. carriers (United, Delta, American, Alaska). This diversification reduces dependence on any single partner.
• Fleet uniformity: The E175 is SkyWest's growth aircraft, with CRJ-700/550/900 as legacy types and CRJ-200s winding down. Fleet standardization reduces training costs and increases pilot flexibility.

SkyWest, Inc. generated $4.1 billion in revenue in FY2025, a 15% increase over 2024, driven by a 15% increase in block hour production. Net income was $428 million — a 33% increase over 2024.

For a pilot, this means: you fly regional jet routes (typically 1-3 hour flights) under the brand of a mainline carrier. You wear the mainline uniform, serve mainline passengers, and operate within the mainline network. The job is a stepping stone — you build turbine PIC time for a mainline application.

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