Latest news with #SkyWestAirlines
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
FAA probing near collision at San Francisco International Airport between United, SkyWest jets
Inside an air traffic control facility during outage, Duffy on updating FAA systems Two passenger jets taking off on parallel runways at San Francisco International Airport nearly collided earlier this month, federal officials told CBS News. The incident happened on May 13 at about 5:10 p.m. involving United Airlines and SkyWest Airlines planes departing nearly simultaneously. The Federal Aviation Administration said that upon departure, the United flight veered directly into the path of the SkyWest flight without authorization. United Flight 1152, an Airbus A320, was headed for Dallas-Fort Worth International. SkyWest Flight 5272, a CRJ-200, was headed to Fresno-Yosemite International. The aviation website One Mile at a Time reported the United jet made a sharp turn to the left instead of turning right, as it was supposed to. The report said at their closest points, the planes were just 0.4 nautical miles apart horizontally and 280 feet apart vertically. United says that it was reviewing the incident. The FAA said it was investigating, and the initial information was subject to change.
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
FAA probing close call at San Francisco International Airport between United, SkyWest jets
Inside an air traffic control facility during outage, Duffy on updating FAA systems Two passenger jets taking off on parallel runways at San Francisco International Airport nearly collided earlier this month, federal officials told CBS News. The incident happened on May 13 at about 5:10 p.m. involving United Airlines and SkyWest Airlines planes departing nearly simultaneously. The Federal Aviation Administration said that upon departure, the United flight veered directly into the path of the SkyWest flight without authorization. United Flight 1152, an Airbus A320, was headed for Dallas-Fort Worth International. SkyWest Flight 5272, a CRJ-200, was headed to Fresno-Yosemite International. The aviation website One Mile at a Time reported the United jet made a sharp turn to the left instead of turning right, as it was supposed to. The report said at their closest points, the planes were just 0.4 nautical miles apart horizontally and 280 feet apart vertically. United says that it was reviewing the incident. The FAA said it was investigating, and the initial information was subject to change.
Business Wire
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
SkyWest, Inc. Announces $250 Million Increase to
ST. GEORGE, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On May 6, 2025, the Board of Directors (the 'Board') of SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW) ('SkyWest') approved a $250 million increase to its existing share repurchase plan. SkyWest is authorized to repurchase such shares of common stock at prevailing market prices in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws. Depending on market conditions and other factors, such repurchases may commence or be suspended from time to time by management without prior notice. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased will be determined by SkyWest's management in its discretion. There is no expiration date for the repurchase plan. This authorization supplements the Board's previous share repurchase plan approved in May 2023, which authorized the repurchase of up to $250 million of SkyWest's common stock, of which approximately $22 million remained after approximately $12 million was repurchased in April 2025. Following such increase, SkyWest is authorized to repurchase up to approximately $272 million of SkyWest's common stock. About SkyWest SkyWest, Inc. is the holding company for SkyWest Airlines, SkyWest Charter and SkyWest Leasing, an aircraft leasing company. SkyWest Airlines has a fleet of approximately 500 aircraft connecting passengers to over 240 destinations throughout North America. SkyWest Airlines operates through partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines carrying more than 42 million passengers in 2024. Forward-Looking Statements In addition to historical information, this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding SkyWest's plans with respect to share repurchases and other statements that are not historical facts. All forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date hereof and are based on information available to SkyWest as of such date. SkyWest assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. Actual events or results may differ from SkyWest's expectations. For example, the share repurchase plan may be suspended or discontinued at any time. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors affecting SkyWest can be found in SkyWest's public periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, available at
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Study shows Johnstown airport has room to bolster travel numbers
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport's 2024 passenger count set a modern-day record for the airport, but that was just a fraction of the number of local travelers the airport could be serving, a market study shows. Even with boardings up more than 80% and the airport's local market share increasing, approximately 530 people every day are still driving to airports further away for flights, Texas-based consultant ArkStar's 'Demand and Leakage' study showed. That adds up to about 193,000 potential customers yearly, ArkStar's Gary Foss said. And they are driving two hours on average to board flights, often to destinations such as Florida and Denver. For Johnstown's airport and its United Express carrier, SkyWest Airlines – and perhaps future carriers – that illustrates a real opportunity for growth, he said. 'This is a great opportunity for us. It shows the potential that still exists,' he said, adding that Johnstown's airport is capturing just under 6% of the air travelers who live closer to Johnstown than other airports, such as those in Pittsburgh, Latrobe or State College. Johnstown's airport authority paid $7,500 for the study to get a snapshot of local residents' travel habits. It's part of their goal to lure more of those residents to fly from Johnstown. The airport, which had 35,000 people fly to or from Johnstown in 2024, offers direct flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. The airport's Essential Air Service contract is also up for renewal this year, and the study's findings could shed light on travel destinations that airport officials should be considering for 2026. Southern favorites Chicago, one of SkyWest's current direct destinations from Johnstown, is among the top destinations for local air travelers, regardless of whether they are flying from Johnstown or other airports such as Pittsburgh, the study showed. But many of the top seven destinations overall were southeastern cities, Foss said. Orlando ranked first and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, second, with Miami third, while another Florida route also scored high. 'One-third of (travelers) are going to Florida ... and 48% are heading to the southwest,' he said. Denver was a surprising inclusion in the top five, Foss added. SkyWest meeting Airport Manager Cory Cree and airport authority board members are planning to meet with SkyWest Airlines officials in Utah next week about the study's results – and about future opportunities for Johnstown. The airport authority has been taking steps to entice an airline – either SkyWest or a future carrier – to add additional flights from Johnstown. Plans are progressing to expand parking and, separately, the waiting area for screened passengers inside the terminal in 2026. Foss and the board said next's week's meeting will be a chance to update SkyWest on the Johnstown airport's momentum. But even if the airport's goal to add another direct destination doesn't yield results, details from the 75-page report still could lead to positive changes, Foss said. The up-to-date data on local travelers' favorite destinations could lead SkyWest and Johnstown to consider different Essential Air Service routes, or tweak current flight schedules to provide more ideal connections to flights to popular destinations. The study's details could also help Johnstown's airport better focus its marketing – not just through TV or online ads, but also targeting certain demographics within the pool of travelers, Foss said. Marketing tool Airport authority members put an emphasis on data detailing SkyWest's performance, which showed its completion rate topping the national average over much of the past year, as another message they need to share and highlight. 'There's a lot of good data here,' Board Chairman Tim McIlwain said at the meeting via Zoom. Even with the record numbers the airport has been reporting, 'there seems to be a lot of potential to capture even better enplanement numbers,' he said. Foss reminded the board members that even though the airport has been providing reliable commercial jet service for the past several years – and seeing its passenger totals grow because of it – that's still a short period of time when it comes to changing the region's travel habits. 'Old habits die hard,' Foss said, adding that figures showed some people continue driving to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Baltimore for flights. 'It takes a couple years to really get the word out, and people are still discovering that they can get to major hubs from Johnstown.' 'But you look at these numbers ... and you can see the upside,' he added.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Smaller planes, big questions: Why regional airlines are under the spotlight
Regional airlines are in the public consciousness lately in a way that usually only avgeeks think about them. This year, three high-profile aviation safety incidents involved regional jets: a fatal collision between an American Airlines/PSA Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.; a Delta Air Lines/Endeavor Air regional jet that flipped over just after touching down at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, and another Delta/Endeavor Air regional jet that clipped its wing against the runway at LaGuardia International Airport in New York. As a result, many travelers are taking a closer look at their airline tickets and wondering what, exactly, these regional carriers are. At the end of the day, they are regulated the same way as the mainline airlines (American, Alaska, Delta and United) that they're affiliated with, but that doesn't mean they're exactly the same. Here's what you need to know if your next trip involves a regional airline. Regional airlines are carriers that generally operate smaller planes in smaller markets to feed traffic to an airline's hub. The aircraft themselves are often painted to look like part of the major carrier's fleet, and are branded with names like American Eagle, Delta Connection or United Express. Flights under those brands can be operated by a number of companies, which are usually either wholly-owned by the larger airline or under contract with the carrier. 'In today's environment, it is an airline with generally smaller aircraft up to 76 seats that operates on behalf of a major carrier, or in some cases, several major carriers. And they do so in their livery and with their service standards," Robert W. Mann Jr., a former airline executive officer and current president of R.W. Mann and Co., an independent airline consultancy, told USA TODAY. "From the airline's perspective, they want you to have the same experience on an airplane operated by one of their partners as you do on one of their airplanes.' These are the major regional partnerships of U.S. airlines: American Airlines (American Eagle) Envoy Air (wholly owned by American) Piedmont Airlines (wholly owned by American) PSA Airlines (wholly owned by American) Republic Airways (third-party contractor) SkyWest Airlines (third-party contractor) Alaska Airlines Horizon Air (wholly-owned by Alaska) SkyWest Airlines (third-party contractor) Delta Air Lines (Delta Connection) Endeavor Air (wholly-owned by Delta) Republic Airways (third-party contractor) SkyWest Airlines (third-party contractor) United Airlines (United Express) CommuteAir (third-party contractor) GoJet Airlines (third-party contractor) Mesa Airlines (third-party contractor) Republic Airways (third-party contractor) SkyWest Airlines (third-party contractor) For many travelers, it can be easy to miss whether a flight is operated by the main airline or one of its regional partners. Even for the third-party contractors, the airline that sells the ticket does everything from setting the price to processing the charge and likely, handling your check-in. "The average passenger does not realize that they are flying on Endeavor or SkyWest or what have you," William J. McGee, senior fellow for aviation and travel at the American Economic Liberties Project and former airline dispatcher, told USA TODAY. "You are booking on (the major carrier's) branded website, your credit card is charged to that major carrier, you tell the taxi driver or the Uber driver that you are going to that carrier's terminal, everything in the airport is branded with that major carrier's branding." Regional carriers fill what could otherwise be a gap in the aviation network, especially in smaller markets. Decades ago, under a different regulatory framework in the U.S., independent so-called "commuter" carriers often fed traffic to major airlines from smaller cities. When the airline industry was deregulated in the 1970s and 80s, major airlines shifted their network structure and placed greater value on more direct control over those feeder flights. Many of the commuter carriers folded, but the ones that remained evolved into today's regional airlines, according to Mann. Staff at regional airlines are often compensated at lower rates than their mainline counterparts, meaning those flights are frequently cheaper to operate for the larger company. While pilot wages at regional airlines have increased in recent years, cabin crew and ground staff wages are still usually significantly lower. The short answer is yes. According to Mann, regional airlines are under the same regulations as mainline carriers, so there's "a single level of safety" between the two. "I don't have any concerns about flying a regional airline partner," he said. 'It just happens to be a smaller airplane, and generally flown in a smaller market." McGee agreed that he doesn't get nervous flying on regional airlines but acknowledged that he does try to keep things in context. "We all know statistically how safe the system is, but it's incumbent upon us if we want to continue to have a safe system, that we look where there could be problems," he said. "There is a higher accident rate with regionals ... that is a statistical fact that we've had more problems on the regional side." Is flying safe? Here's what the experts say about the number of accidents. Still, McGee doesn't want travelers to worry the next time they fly on a regional jet. He believes it is important for the industry to be transparent about the operator, ensuring that travelers are fully informed about the context of regional flying. Especially after close together, high-profile incidents that involved regional jets, McGee said now's a good time to take a closer look at this aspect of the industry. "Cumulatively, these events indicate that we need to be more watchful than ever as far as standards: as far as aircraft maintenance, as far as piloting standards, all of this," he said. "My two bullets are: there are more problems at the regionals than the mainlines, that's a statistical fact. The other is, we don't want an erosion of standards," so keeping regionals under the same regulations as mainline carriers going forward is an important way to ensure continued safety, according to McGee. Airlines and third-party booking platforms are required to disclose what carrier is operating a flight when you book, though it may not always be obvious or easy to spot on the booking page. For the most part, because onboard service standards tend to be similar, for many travelers, it may not matter who the operator is. "I think a lot of people don't know until they get there, and it's not a 747 they're boarding," Mann said. "The degree of knowledge, especially of infrequent travelers, is limited." As a consumer advocate, McGee expressed hope that airlines will display their disclosures more prominently and that travelers will become better informed about the distinctions between regional and mainline airlines. "In 2025, we still have a long way to go for complete transparency on when you are flying on one of the three mainlines and when you are flying on one of their partners," he said. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are regional airlines safe? What passengers should know
