SkyWest Airlines 2009 Annual Report Download - page 32

these events will not harm the airline industry generally or our operations or financial condition in
particular.
Fuel costs have adversely affected, and will likely continue to adversely affect, the operations and financial
performance of the airline industry.
The price of aircraft fuel is unpredictable and was volatile during much of 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Higher fuel prices may lead to higher airfares, which would tend to decrease the passenger load of our
code-share partners. In the long run, such decreases will likely have an adverse effect on the number of
flights such partner will ask us to provide and the revenues associated with such flights. Additionally,
fuel shortages have been threatened. The future cost and availability of fuel to us cannot be predicted,
and substantial fuel cost increases or the unavailability of adequate supplies of fuel may have a material
adverse effect on our results of operations. During periods of increasing fuel costs, our operating
margins have been, and will likely continue to be, adversely affected.
We are subject to significant governmental regulation.
All interstate air carriers, including SkyWest Airlines and ASA, are subject to regulation by the
DOT, the FAA and other governmental agencies. Regulations promulgated by the DOT primarily relate
to economic aspects of air service. The FAA requires operating, air worthiness and other certificates;
approval of personnel who may engage in flight, maintenance or operation activities; record keeping
procedures in accordance with FAA requirements; and FAA approval of flight training and retraining
programs. We cannot predict whether we will be able to comply with all present and future laws, rules,
regulations and certification requirements or that the cost of continued compliance will not have a
material adverse effect on our operations. We incur substantial costs in maintaining our current
certifications and otherwise complying with the laws, rules and regulations to which we are subject. A
decision by the FAA to ground, or require time-consuming inspections of or maintenance on, all or any
of our aircraft for any reason may have a material adverse effect on our operations. In addition to state
and federal regulation, airports and municipalities enact rules and regulations that affect our
operations. From time to time, various airports throughout the country have considered limiting the use
of smaller aircraft, such as our aircraft, at such airports. The imposition of any limits on the use of our
aircraft at any airport at which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our operations.
The occurrence of an aviation accident would negatively impact our operations and financial condition.
An accident or incident involving one of our aircraft could result in significant potential claims of
injured passengers and others, as well as repair or replacement of a damaged aircraft and its
consequential temporary or permanent loss from service. In the event of an accident, our liability
insurance may not be adequate to offset our exposure to potential claims and we may be forced to bear
substantial losses from the accident. Substantial claims resulting from an accident in excess of our
related insurance coverage would harm our operational and financial results. Moreover, any aircraft
accident or incident, even if fully insured, could cause a public perception that our operations are less
safe or reliable than other airlines.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
We can issue additional shares without shareholder approval.
Our Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended (the ‘‘Restated Articles’’), authorize the
issuance of up to 120,000,000 shares of common stock, all of which may be issued without any action or
approval by our shareholders. As of December 31, 2009, we had 55,609,015 shares outstanding. In
addition, as of December 31, 2009, we had equity-based incentive plans under which 1,453,234 shares
are reserved for issuance and an employee stock purchase plan under which 2,847,093 shares are
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