Skywest rumors?
 

Anyone know if Skywest has any plans to hire soon?

Anything new with the phasing out of the Brasilias? I heard a rumor that Skywest was looking at buying Q400s.

I would guess a small amount of hiring from the pool in late 2009, if nothing changes with DAL, UAL, or other potential codeshares. Maybe.

There will be no mandatory retirements until Dec 2012, so hiring will be based on attrition, which is pretty low right now...

The Q400 rumor has been around as long as the Q400, there is no reason to start believing it now...especially since oil is back in the $80's and the brasilia retirement appears to have been postponed.

As much as I would love to see the Q400 here, I don't think SkyWest has any plans for it. As for hiring, all depends on what happens with our partners and how much flying they give us. Right now we are overstaffed.

It would be interesting to see what happens with MESA.

There's always THAT...I think they have some bonds due in Dec. which might be problematic.

SKW has been talking to AWA/Airways for years about PHX, but the problem now is that all the majors probably have more capacity than they need. If mesa shuts down (which they might due to lack of BK DIP financing), Airways might simply relocate their other regional assets to cover the holes.

As well as money due from lawsuits and big bad RAH in HNL.

Didn't United put out an RFP earlier this year to have a backup ready to go for if/when Mesa goes under in ORD? Isn't that a decent chunk of RJ traffic you guys could potentially get?

Again, UAL might just be happy to get a free RJ capacity cut...or maybe not. With their 737 diet-plan they might actually NEED more RJ's :(

What is the attrition rate right now? I have been in the brazilia hiring pool since May and hoping for a call well before late 2009... I lost my flying job in the private sector this summer (it was a small business outfit that got killed by fuel costs), so have nothing right now besides unemployment!

Thanks

It seems I move up the seniority list a slot or two every week. So it's happening, but not quickly! At that rate, I calculate it will be at least a year before we're staffed to a "normal" level for our current volume. But as previously mentioned, we might pick up additional flying or we might experience continued reductions. You just never know how it's going to play out.

That being said, you might want to find something else to do in the mean time.