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SkyWest Airlines has a preliminary agreement to operate 14 jets for a new customer, US Airways.
The two carriers signed a letter of intent for SkyWest to operate the 50-seat CRJ200 regional jets as US Airways, representatives for the companies said Thursday.
SkyWest pilots will fly the jets out of US Airways' airport hub in Phoenix, beginning some time in the first half of 2012.
Mike Kraupp, SkyWest's chief financial officer, said the three-year deal will add more diversity to the St. George-based airline's customer base, which is dominated by United Continental Holdings (67 percent) and Delta Air Lines (32 percent). The remaining 1 percent is split between Alaska Airlines and Air Tran Airways.
US Airways "is not the size of Delta and United Continental. Nevertheless, US Airways is a good-sized operator out there. Hopefully, once we get in and start small, [the relationship] will blossom," Kraupp said.
Besides the opportunity for more growth that comes with a new customer, SkyWest also gets more chances to keep its fleet of 715 aircraft fully in service. Delta and United frequently adjust their routes and seat capacities, which means that SkyWest must sometimes idle some of its aircraft until demand picks up again.
In fact, SkyWest expects to allocate aircraft for the US Airways contract from its existing fleet instead of buying or leasing more aircraft.
The US Airways deal still needs to be approved by the boards of both SkyWest and US Airways.
If it is OK'd, the deal will be the second flying arrangement that SkyWest has made this year.
In May, SkyWest began flying six West Coast routes for Alaska Airlines, using five 70-seat CRJ700 jets it leased from Horizon Airlines, Alaska's sister carrier.
"We did have a very successful launch of our Alaska Airlines relationship, which began May 14. We believe it's been successful for both us and Alaska, and [think] that [it] may lead to add future opportunity," SkyWest Inc. President Brad Rich said Wednesday, during a conference call with analysts.
SkyWest Inc. is the parent company of SkyWest Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet.
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