SkyWest Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the US, with a fleet of over 500 aircraft. The carrier, however, operates regional jets on behalf of mainline airlines, including American, Delta, United, and Alaska. Here are the oldest aircraft flying for SkyWest.
The oldest jets are Bombardier CRJ-200s
The oldest aircraft, according to data from Planespotters.net, is a Bombardier CRJ-200. Registered as N492SW, this jet is 23.5 years old. It had a long history flying for regional carriers in the US and has flown under Delta’s regional banner (Delta Connection), American’s (American Eagle), and now United’s (United Express).
Next up comes N629BR, which is a 22-year-old CRJ-200 that flies under the Delta Connection banner. This aircraft is currently stored in Tuscon and has not flown since April. As Delta evaluates its fleet needs, this aircraft could be one of the first to be retired from the regional arm, but it remains to be seen.
Next up is N594SW, another 22-year-old CRJ-200 that is in SkyWest’s livery, but flies on behalf of major US airlines. This specific jet has been flying United Express flights.
Number four goes to N779CA, also 22-years-old. This one flies on behalf of Delta and is in active commercial service. Delta Connection’s CRJ-200s are outfitted with 50 seats all in coach, as are United Express’ CRJ-200s. American Eagle does not fly any CRJ-200s.
Next up are CRJ-700s
A specific Bombardier CRJ-700 is N707SK. While it has been stored in Tucson since the end of July, the aircraft was pretty busy operating under the American Eagle banner.
The next oldest CRJ-700s are:
- N611SK; 20 years old flying for American Eagle
- N609SK; 18 years old that flies for Delta Connection, but is currently stored in Tucson
- N613SK, 18 years old that flies for American Eagle
In the US, regional jets serve multiple purposes. While they primarily do fly to smaller, secondary cities, they also can be found flying between major business centers and hubs. For example, you can find a CRJ-700 flying between Phoenix and Los Angeles on at least one daily flight.
The oldest CRJ-900
The oldest CRJ-900 is N800SK. This 14-year-old jet flies under the Delta Connection banner. Next up are:
- N802SK; 14-years-old
- N803SK; 14-years-old
- N804SK; 14-years-old
- N805SK; 14-years-old
- N806SK; 14-years-old
- N809SK; 14-years-old
All of SkyWest’s CRJ-900s fly under the Delta Connection banner. Some of the jets mentioned above are currently stored.
The youngest jets are the Embraer E175s
In recent years, across the US, regional airlines have shifted away from CRJ jets in favor of Embraer aircraft. SkyWest is no exception. In fact, the airline has also made arrangements with major airlines to take on and fly more Embraer jets.
Fleet-wise, the ERJ-175s are an average of about 3.7 years old. This is much younger than the 10.0-year-old average of the CRJ-900s, 14.8-year-old average for the CRJ-700, and the 18.0-year-old average for the CRJ-200s.
The list could change soon
Come October 1st, SkyWest will have to do less flying for major US airlines. Regional airlines, including SkyWest, are limited based on scope clauses US airlines have agreed to with their pilots as to how much flying regional airlines can do. And, given how major US airlines are emerging smaller from the crisis come October 1st, SkyWest will likely be flying less, assuming that US carriers do not consolidate regional flying with SkyWest or another regional airline, which means some of these older jets could be retired to make way for newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft.
What is the oldest SkyWest jet you’ve flown on? What about regional jets in general? Let us know in the comments!