SkyWest Files for Part 135 Charter Certificate

Michael Wildes

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 04:35 PM ET

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A SkyWest Bombardier CRJ-200 airplane at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport (PHX) in Arizona. [File photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

SkyWest Inc. has filed a petition to the Department of Transportation for a Part 135 public air charter certificate to launch "SkyWest Charter."
This new entity plans to conduct scheduled passenger operations using its 30-seat CRJ 200 aircraft, primarily to maintain service in underserved small cities affected by flight cuts.
A significant, unstated advantage of the Part 135 certification is the flexibility to hire first officers with fewer flight hours (500 vs. 1,500) and more flexible work rules, potentially alleviating the current pilot shortage.

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SkyWest Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW), the parent company of SkyWest Airlines, the largest regional airline, has filed a petition to the Department of Transportation for a Part 135 public air charter certificate. Dubbed “SkyWest Charter,” the upstart would allow the company to “conduct scheduled passenger operations as a commuter air carrier” using its 30-seat CRJ 200 aircraft.

Presently, SkyWest operates more than 2,400 flights daily to more than 250 cities across North America for Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK), American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL), Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), and United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL). With more than 500 airplanes, it is the largest regional airline in the U.S. by several metrics.