SkyWest has signed an agreement to purchase 16 new Embraer E175 passenger jets, which it plans to operate under a multiyear contract with Delta Air Lines. The aircraft are expected to replace 16 CRJ900s that SkyWest is currently flying under contract with Delta. Deliveries of the 76-seat, three-class E175s are scheduled to begin in mid-2020.
“The E175 is the backbone of the North American regional market, and as the industry begins to emerge from the pandemic we are seeing growing long-term demand for rightsized aircraft to deliver profitable domestic connectivity,” said Mark Neely, Embraer Commercial Aviation vice president of sales and marketing. “The E175 has been a lifeline for carriers as they are perfectly suited to rebuild routes, add frequencies, and add incremental capacity to meet rebounding domestic demand.”
The contract for the new E175s is valued at approximately $798.4 million. SkyWest currently operates 71 E175s for Delta and, once the new aircraft are added to its fleet, the carrier says it will have nearly 240 E175s flying in North America. In addition, SkyWest’s E175 fleet reached the two million flight hour milestone this month.
