SkyWest Airlines 2005 Annual Report Download - page 27

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23
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Flight Equipment
As of December 31, 2005, we owned or leased a fleet of aircraft, consisting of the following types of aircraft:
Aircraft Type
Number of
Owned Aircraft
Number of
Leased Aircraft
Passenger
Capacity
Scheduled Flight
Range (miles)
Average Cruising
Speed (mph)
Average Age
(years)
CRJ200s......................................... 69 160 50 1,100 530 4.2
CRJ700s......................................... 42 35 70 1,600 530 1.4
Brasilia Turboprops....................... 14 48 30 300 300 8.9
ATR-72 Turboprops...................... ─ 12 66 300 300 12.2
SkyWest Airlines and ASA have combined firm orders to acquire 32 additional CRJ700s (which can be delivered in
configurations ranging between 70 and 90 seats) over the next two years and ASA is committed to sublease six CRJ200s from Delta
commencing in 2006. SkyWest and ASA do not presently have orders for additional aircraft other than these Bombardier Regional
Jets. Gross committed expenditures for these 32 aircraft and related equipment, including estimated amounts for contractual price
escalations will be approximately $838 million through April 2007. We presently are receiving these aircraft on an incremental
schedule, and anticipate that delivery dates for these aircraft could continue through approximately April 2007; however, actual
delivery dates remain subject to final determination based on various factors. SkyWest Airlines and ASA have also obtained
combined options for another 70 Bombardier Regional Jets that can be delivered in either 70 or 90-seat configurations.
The following table outlines the number of Bombardier Regional Jets that SkyWest Airlines and ASA are scheduled to receive
during each of the periods set forth below and the expected size and composition of our combined fleet following the receipt of these
aircraft.
During the fiscal year
ended December 31,
2006 2007 2008 2009
Additional CRJ200s..........................................................................
.
6 0 0 0
Additional CRJ700s..........................................................................
.
24 8 0 0
Total Bombardier Regional Jets.......................................................
.
336 344 344 344
Total Brasilia Turboprops ................................................................
.
61 60 59 57
Total ATR-72 Turboprops ...............................................................
.
12 0 0 0
Total Combined Fleet.......................................................................
.
409 404 403 401
Bombardier Regional Jets
The Bombardier Regional Jets are among the quietest commercial jets currently available and offer many of the amenities of
larger commercial jet aircraft, including flight attendant service, as well as a stand-up cabin, overhead and underseat storage,
lavatories and in-flight snack and beverage service. The speed of Bombardier Regional Jets is comparable to larger aircraft operated
by the major airlines, and they have a range of approximately 1,600 miles; however, because of their smaller size and efficient
design, the per-flight cost of operating a Bombardier Regional Jet is generally less than that of a 120-seat or larger jet aircraft.
Brasilia Turboprops
The Brasilia turboprops are 30-seat, pressurized aircraft designed to operate more economically over short-haul routes than larger
jet aircraft. These factors make it economically feasible for SkyWest Airlines to provide high frequency service in markets with
relatively low volumes of passenger traffic. Passenger comfort features of the Brasilia turboprops include stand-up headroom, a
lavatory, overhead baggage compartments and flight attendant service. We expect that Delta and United will want us to continue to
operate Brasilia turboprops in markets where passenger load and other factors make the operation of a Bombardier Regional Jet
impractical. As of December 31, 2005, SkyWest Airlines operated 62 Brasilia turboprops out of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt
Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma and Portland. SkyWest Airlines’ Brasilia turboprops are generally used in its California markets, which
are characterized by high frequency service on shorter stage lengths.