Regional airline SkyWest has secured financing for six additional Embraer E175s and expects the first of those aircraft to be delivered in the third quarter of this year.
SkyWest, Inc., a US regional airline and part of the SkyWest Airlines Group that also includes ExpressJet Holdings, has secured financing for six additional Embraer E175s.
SkyWest also expects the first of those aircraft to be delivered in the third quarter of this year. The airline already operates 18 of the 76-seat aircraft.
The E175 is a single-aisle twinjet airliner developed by Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer and its subsidiary Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (Embraer) as a regional jet featuring up to 76 seats or 58 passengers in a high density layout.
SkyWest had previously been listed as a customer for the 76-seat model, but with no deliveries in its backlog. SkyWest already operates 18 of the 76-seat aircraft, which are all operated by subsidiary SkyWest Airlines.
The St George, Utah-based carrier will operate new E175s through subsidiary SkyWest Airlines.
SkyWest Airlines is a regional airline that operates as the largest subsidiary of SkyWest Holdings, a holding company that owns several other airlines and companies. The company’s main business is operating other airlines and managing their operations, but it also has two subsidiaries that operate their own flights:
- ExpressJet Airlines, which operates Embraer ERJ 145 jets in the continental United States
- GoJet Airlines, which flies Embraer ERJ 145 jets and Bombardier CRJ200/700 aircraft within the US
SkyWest did not disclose how it financed the aircraft. It also did not disclose what it paid for the planes, and how much per month it will pay for them.
Embraer said on 13 February that an unnamed customer had signed a firm order for three E175s. The Brazilian airframer had previously recorded an order for three E175s in its backlog in March 2017. However, Flight Fleets Analyzer indicates that this entry – along with five options – has since been removed from Embraer’s backlog.
SkyWest is the likely customer for these six aircraft, as it is currently the only operator of the type. It began operating Boeing 737-700s in April 2016 after taking delivery of its first aircraft from Southwest Airlines (which also has an orders and deliveries page).
SkyWest had previously exercised options for 20 of the regional jets, which was part of its deal with Airbus to buy 80 aircraft in 2015. In January 2017, when SkyWest exercised options for 20 of the regional jets, it had said it planned to operate them all under the United Express brand through a capacity purchase agreement with United Airlines.
SkyWest Airlines will operate the aircraft under the United Express brand. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of this year, and all six will be in service by mid 2020. SkyWest already operates 18 E175s, which are used primarily on routes from its Salt Lake City hub as well as from Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The new aircraft will help SkyWest serve both larger markets with higher capacity aircraft and smaller markets more effectively.
SkyWest is an American airline with its main hub at Salt Lake City International Airport. It operates contract air services for United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.
