SkyWest Airlines 2008 Annual Report Download - page 8

discussed. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect actual
results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting these statements other than as
required by law.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
Through SkyWest Airlines and ASA, our wholly-owned subsidiaries, we offer scheduled passenger
service with approximately 2,300 daily departures to 218 destinations in the United States, Canada,
Mexico and the Caribbean. Substantially all of our flights are operated as either Delta Connection,
United Express or Midwest Connect flights under code-share arrangements with Delta, United or
Midwest, respectively, with significant presence in their key domestic hubs and focus cities. SkyWest
Airlines and ASA generally provide regional flying to our partners under long-term, fixed-fee
code-share agreements. Among other features of our fixed-fee agreements, our partners generally
reimburse us for specified direct operating expenses (including fuel expense, which is passed through to
our partners), and pay us a fee for operating the aircraft.
SkyWest Airlines and ASA have developed industry-leading reputations for providing quality,
low-cost regional airline service during their long operating histories—SkyWest Airlines has been flying
since 1972 and ASA since 1979. As of December, 31, 2008, our consolidated fleet consisted of a total
of 442 aircraft, of which 258 were assigned with Delta (12 Avions de Transport 72-210 turboprop
aircraft were no longer in revenue service and ASA expects to return the aircraft to the lessor by
February 28, 2009), 163 were assigned with United, 12 were assigned with Midwest and nine were used
by SkyWest Airlines as additional maintenance spare aircraft. We currently operate one type of regional
jet aircraft in three different configurations, the 50-seat Bombardier Aerospace (‘‘Bombardier’’)
CRJ200 Regional Jet (the ‘‘CRJ200’’), the 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 Regional Jet (the ‘‘CRJ700’’)
and the 70-90-seat Bombardier CRJ900 Regional Jet (the ‘‘CRJ900’’), and one type of turboprop
aircraft, the 30-seat Embraer Brasilia EMB-120 turboprop (the ‘‘Brasilia turboprop’’). We also lease 12
66-seat Avions de Transport 72-210 turboprop aircraft (the ‘‘ATR-72 turboprop’’), which are no longer
in revenue service and are scheduled for return to the lessor by February 28, 2009.
We were incorporated in Utah in 1972. Our principal executive offices are located at 444 South
River Road, St. George, Utah 84790, and our primary telephone number is [phone]. We
maintain an Internet web site at www.skywest.com. Our website provides a link to the web site of the
SEC, through which our annual, quarterly and current reports, as well as amendments to those reports,
are available. In addition, we provide electronic or paper copies of our filings free of charge upon
request.
Our Operating Platforms
SkyWest Airlines
SkyWest Airlines provides regional jet and turboprop service primarily located in the midwestern
and western United States. SkyWest Airlines offered approximately 1,500 daily scheduled departures as
of December 31, 2008, of which approximately 990 were United Express flights, 430 were Delta
Connection flights and 80 were Midwest Connect flights. SkyWest Airlines’ operations are conducted
from hubs located in Chicago (O’Hare), Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Salt Lake
City. SkyWest Airlines’ fleet as of December 31, 2008 consisted of 20 CRJ900s, all of which were flown
for Delta, 65 CRJ700s, of which 52 were flown for United and 13 for Delta; 140 CRJ200s, of which 67
were flown for United, 52 were flown for Delta, 12 were flown for Midwest and nine were used by
SkyWest Airlines as additional maintenance spare aircraft, and 56 Brasilia turboprops, of which 44 were
flown for United and 12 were flown for Delta.
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