SkyWest Airlines 2011 Annual Report Download - page 37

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Flight Equipment
As of December 31, 2011, our fleet consisted of the following types of owned and leased aircraft:
Number of Number of Passenger Scheduled Flight Average Cruising Average Age
Aircraft Type Owned Aircraft Leased Aircraft Capacity Range (miles) Speed (mph) (years)
CRJ200s ......... 87 181 50 1,500 530 10.2
CRJ700s ......... 69 73 70 1,600 530 6.7
CRJ900s ......... 11 24 90 1,500 530 4.1
ERJ145s ......... 0 242 50 1,500 530 10.0
Brasilia Turboprops . 9 36 30 300 300 14.5
The following table outlines the expected size and composition of our combined fleet for the
periods indicated. The projected fleet size schedule below assumes aircraft financed under operating
leases will be returned to the lessor at the end of each lease and debt financed aircraft will be retired
as the debt matures.
As of December 31,
2012 2013 2014 2015
Expected fleet size
Total Bombardier Regional Jets ..................... 420 407 385 370
Total Embraer Regional Jets ....................... 228 209 183 157
Total Brasilia Turboprops ......................... 33 20 12 11
Total Combined Fleet ............................ 681 636 580 538
Bombardier and Embraer Regional Jets
The Bombardier and Embraer 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 under seat storage, lavatories and in-flight snack and
beverage service. The speed of Bombardier and Embraer 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 or Embraer
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 regional jet impractical. As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines operated 45 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.
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