Category Archives: Delta Connection

SkyWest takes delivery of its first Embraer E175 SC (Special Configuration)

SkyWest Airlines has taken delivery of the pictured N262SY (msn 17000714), officially an Embraer ERJ 170-200 LL. The new type is marketed as the ERJ 175 SC (ERJ 170-200SC) (Special Configuration) with 70 seats. The aircraft arrived on March 11, 2018.

The airline announced the new arrival on social media:

SkyWest has taken delivery of our first E175 SC this past weekend! N262SY is part of the 45 aircraft order announced in the fall of 2017. The E175 SCs are configured in a 70-seat layout and will be operating as Delta Connection.

Photos: SkyWest Airlines.

Endeavor Air to add its first Bombardier CRJ700

Endeavor Air (Minneapolis/St. Paul) is planning to add its first Bombardier CRJ700 this quarter.

Previously the carrier announced in August 2017 the addition of 28 Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, increasing the world’s largest fleet of the 76-seat aircraft to 109.

Endeavor will also acquire three Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft.

The airline also plans to draw down its 50-seat CRJ200 fleet by 16 aircraft, to 42 CRJ200s, for a total net gain of 15 aircraft once all aircraft have been inducted at Endeavor.

The three CRJ700s are coming from ExpressJet and will be operated for Delta.

Endeavor Air is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.

All photos by Endeavor Air.

Delta Connection-Endeavor aircraft slide show:

Delta continues Boston expansion with more flights to top destinations

Delta Air Lines has announced it will give Boston customers more flights and enhanced service in 2018, with new daily service to Charleston, S.C. as well as additional flights to four top business markets beginning on June 8. New Saturday seasonal service to Aruba will also begin on June 9.

New Service to Charleston

Delta will offer one daily round-trip to Charleston International Airport on a CRJ900 aircraft with seating for 12 in First Class, 20 in Delta Comfort+ and 44 in the main cabin, featuring a two-by-two seating configuration and complimentary entertainment via Delta Studio in addition to in-flight WiFi access:

Departs	Arrives	Aircraft
BOS at 10:40 a.m.	CHS at 1:05 p.m.	CRJ900
CHS at 1:35 p.m.	BOS at 3:55 p.m.	CRJ900

Additional frequencies to Jacksonville, Kansas City, Nashville and Pittsburgh

In response to healthy demand from Boston business customers, Delta will increase flights on June 8 to these four markets. These additional flights will offer convenient morning and evening travel options for Boston business customers. The new service is denoted with an asterisk.

Departs	Arrives	Aircraft
BOS at 7:05 a.m.	JAX at 10:15 a.m.	CRJ900
*BOS at 3:40 p.m.	JAX at 6:50 p.m.	CRJ900
JAX at 10:45 a.m.	BOS at 2:15 p.m.	CRJ900
*JAX at 7:25 p.m.	BOS at 10:55 p.m.	CRJ900

Departs	Arrives	Aircraft
BOS at 6:30 a.m.	MCI at 8:51 a.m.	CRJ900
*BOS at 6:05 p.m.	MCI at 8:26 p.m.	E175
*MCI at 6:35 a.m.	BOS at 10:27 a.m.	E175
MCI at 7:20 p.m.	BOS at 11:12 p.m.	CRJ900

Departs	Arrives	Aircraft
BOS at 8:35 a.m.	BNA at 10:28 a.m.	CRJ900
BOS at 2:50 p.m.	BNA at 4:47 p.m.	CRJ900
*BOS at 7 p.m.	BNA at 8:57 p.m.	CRJ900
BNA at 6:30 a.m.	BOS at 10:12 p.m.	CRJ900
*BNA at 11:10 a.m.	BOS at 2:48 p.m.	CRJ900
BNA at 5:20 p.m.	BOS at 8:58 p.m.	CRJ900

Departs	Arrives	Aircraft
BOS at 8:15 a.m.	PIT at 10:05 a.m.	CRJ900
*BOS at 12:50 p.m.	PIT at 2:20 p.m.	CRJ900
BOS at 7:55 p.m.	PIT at 9:45 p.m.	CRJ900
PIT at 6 a.m.	BOS at 7:40 a.m.	CRJ900
*PIT at 3:10 p.m.	BOS at 4:50 p.m.	CRJ900
PIT at 5:40 p.m.	BOS at 7:20 p.m.	CRJ900

*denotes new frequency

All Boston flights with First Class seating

Delta is enhancing existing service to Buffalo, N.Y. also effective June 8. Delta will offer customers larger CRJ900 aircraft with seating for 12 in First Class, 20 in Delta Comfort+ and 44 in the main cabin, featuring a two-by-two seating configuration and complimentary entertainment via Delta Studio in addition to in-flight WiFi access. With this upgrade, all Delta Boston flights will feature First Class service.

Seasonal leisure service expansion

Delta will offer Saturday service nonstop to Aruba beginning on June 9 through Aug. 18 on Boeing 737-800 aircraft with seating for 16 in First Class, 36 in Comfort+ and 108 in the main cabin. Additionally, previously announced seasonal weekend service to New Orleans begins Feb. 10, and Savannah begins March 3. Nonstop daily service to West Palm Beach and twice daily service to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood began Dec. 21 with daily Fort Myers service running daily through April 8.

Delta’s leading global network in Boston

Recent Boston service investments bring Delta to 113 peak-day departures by this summer, an increase of 20 departures compared with summer 2017 and 30 departures over summer 2016. Delta and its partners serve 50 total destinations from Boston, including 18 international destinations and the largest transatlantic network.

Delta is the No. 1 carrier between Boston and New York, connecting business travelers with the Delta Shuttle, operated by Delta and its connection partner Republic Airline, with hourly service 16 times daily on week days between Logan Airport and New York City’s LaGuardia Airport as well as offering eight daily flights to New York-JFK.

Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-Endeavor Air Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) N302PQ (msn 15302) JFK (Jay Selman). Image: 403616.

Delta Connection-Endeavor Air aircraft slide show:

Delta reports on its holiday performance, winter storm to impact operations

Delta Air Lines operated more than 55,000 flights carrying nearly 6 million customers during the peak travel period from December 21, 2017, to January 1, 2018, without a mainline flight cancellation while setting a company record with a 99.85 percent combined Delta and Delta Connection completion factor, the measure of flight schedule to flights flown. The airline also started the year on a strong footing with no cancellations on New Year’s Day.¹

“Through the hard work and relentless dedication of our employees, Delta endeavors to be the world’s most reliable airline—getting our customers where they want to go safely and with minimal disruption, even during some of the busiest times of the year,” said Gil West, Chief Operating Officer. “Ending yet another year with record-setting performance is a testament to the hard work of all 80,000 Delta employees, who continue to demonstrate what sets Delta apart.”

The strong holiday performance builds on Delta’s record-setting 2017, as the airline flew 90 days without a cancellation across the combined mainline and Delta Connection operation, an increase from 81 days in 2016. Similarly, Delta flew 242 days in 2017 without a mainline cancellation, eclipsing its 2016 record by a day, despite a year of severe weather including a record number of hurricanes that closed airports throughout the Caribbean and Florida for several days, as well as an airport-wide power outage at the airline’s busiest hub in Atlanta.²

Delta flew more than 192 million customers in 2017, a record for the airline, on more than 1.8 million mainline Delta and Delta Connection flights around the world.

[1] Based on Delta’s internal statistical reporting of all Delta and Delta Connection flights scheduled between Dec. 21, 2017, and Jan. 1, 2018.

[2] Based on Delta’s internal statistical reporting of all Delta and Delta Connection flights scheduled between Jan. 1, 2017, and Jan. 1, 2018.

In other news, on the weather front, Delta meteorologists and leaders in the airline’s Operations and Customer Center arefollowing a low pressure system off the southeast coast of the U.S. The storm is bringing frozen and mixed precipitation to airports in northern Florida, southern Georgia and the Carolinas on Wednesday.

The same storm will continue north, potentially affecting airports and possibly disrupting flight schedules along the eastern seaboard. The storm is not forecast to hit the Atlanta hub, Delta’s busiest.

NOAA Weather Map:

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show:

SkyWest to fly the Cincinnati – Austin route for Delta

SkyWest Airlines (Delta Connection) will add the Cincinnati – Austin route for Delta Air Lines starting on May 1, 2018. The new route will be operated with Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft according to Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N609SK (msn 10020) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 911199.

Delta Connection – SkyWest Airlines aircraft slide show:

Fleet Facts:

Route Map: Route flown for Delta Air Lines:

Delta to drop all service to Killeen-Fort Hood, Texas

Delta Air Lines is planning to drop Delta Connection service to Killeen/Fort Hood, TX on January 16, 2018. Delta connects the airport with the Atlanta hub, operated by ExpressJet Airlines.

Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-ExpressJet Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) N138EV (msn 15235) ATL (Jay Selman). Image: 403370.

ExpressJet Airlines is phasing out its last Bombardier CRJ200s

ExpressJet Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc., this month is operating its last Canadair (Bombardier) CRJ200 revenue flights.

As previously reported on December 23, 2016, ExpressJet expected to transition to flying primarily dual-class aircraft in its CRJ operation by removing its Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft from service over the next year.

The company has been gradually retiring the CRJ200 fleet. Some aircraft have been transferred to partner SkyWest Airlines and all others are now in storage. Some aircraft were relocated to Oklahoma City, OK.

The retirement of the ExpressJet CRJ200 fleet was stepped up this month. N854AS is operating today but it is expected to join the others soon in retirement, probably after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-ExpressJet Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-600-2B19) N923EV (msn 7826) ATL (Jay Selman). Image: 403333.

SkyWest to acquire 20 additional aircraft, will expand its relationship with Delta and Alaska

SkyWest, Inc. has announced additional order of 20 new aircraft and new flying agreements

Order includes 15 70-seat Embraer E175 SC aircraft expected to be delivered and placed into service with Delta Air Lines in 2018
Order includes five 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft expected to be delivered and placed into service with Alaska Airlines in late 2017 and early 2018`
Terms and economics similar to prior contracts with each partner
SkyWest, Inc. has reported that it has entered into aircraft purchase agreements and capacity purchase agreements to acquire and fly 15 additional new aircraft with Delta Air Lines and five additional new aircraft with Alaska Airlines. Expected delivery dates for the 20 aircraft run from September 2017 through the end of 2018. These aircraft will be operated by SkyWest Airlines, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest.

Of the 20 aircraft, 15 Embraer E175 SC aircraft will fly under an agreement with Delta in a 70-seat configuration. The E175 SC aircraft has an E175 airframe and can be retrofitted to 76 seats in the future. The agreement with Alaska includes five Embraer E175s, with a 76-seat configuration, similar to aircraft SkyWest has previously placed into service with Alaska.

Combined with last month’s announcement for 25 new aircraft, this announcement results in a cumulative order of 45 new aircraft. Similar structurally to SkyWest’s acquisition of 104 E175s, SkyWest expects to invest approximately $161 million in cash to acquire these 45 aircraft, and to finance the balance of the purchase price with debt. The expected delivery dates for the 45 aircraft run from September 2017 through the end of 2018, with the majority of the deliveries scheduled for mid-2018.

Top Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-SkyWest Airlines Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N252SY (msn 17000612) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 936861.

Delta Connection:

Alaska SkyWest:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Alaska SkyWest (SkyWest Airlines) Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N186SY (msn 17000606) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 938865.

ExpressJet expands its relationship with United and American, drops Delta

ExpressJet Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. has announced the initiation of a clearly defined long-term strategy:

 Long-term agreement secured with United Airlines. As part of this plan, ExpressJet has secured a new, five-year extension of its United Airlines ERJ 145 contract, effective January 1, 2018 through Dec. 31, 2022. The new agreement enhances ExpressJet’s United partnership and provides long-term stability to its model. It also provides ExpressJet pilots with continued access to United’s Career Pathway Program. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
 Early termination of Delta CPA. Additionally, ExpressJet and Delta Air Lines mutually agreed to initiate the wind-down of its remaining dual-class flying agreement under the Delta Connection brand, allowing ExpressJet opportunities to place aircraft with other partners. The agreement, which includes 28 CRJ900s and 33 CRJ700s, was previously scheduled to expire beginning in 2019. The aircraft financed by Delta, including all CRJ900s, will be returned to Delta beginning in fourth quarter 2017; ExpressJet expects to transition other aircraft previously operated under its Delta agreement to other major partners throughout 2018.
 Agreement with American for eight additional CRJ700s. As part of this realignment, ExpressJet has secured an agreement with American Airlines to transition eight additional CRJ700s to its American Eagle operation. That transition is expected to take place during second quarter 2018.

Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-ExpressJet Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) N307PQ (msn 15307) ATL (Jay Selman). Image: 403371.

SkyWest’s ExpressJet to retire its CRJ200 fleet over the next year

SkyWest, Inc. has announced additional fleet transitions and contract updates designed to reduce SkyWest’s long-term fleet risk and enhance its ability to respond to changing partner needs.

Specifically, SkyWest’s ExpressJet operation expects to transition to flying primarily dual-class aircraft in its CRJ operation by removing its Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft from service over the next year.

The removal of the CRJ200 aircraft reduces ExpressJet’s future required investment in its 50-seat fleet and is expected to improve the airline’s operating efficiency by eliminating an aircraft type from its platform.

SkyWest also announced ExpressJet and American Airlines have agreed to place 12 dual-class CRJ700s into service under a multi-year term. These CRJ700s had been scheduled to be removed from service under a previously-disclosed early lease return arrangement.

Additionally, SkyWest and Bombardier entered into a termination agreement covering Bombardier’s residual value guarantee (“RVG”) agreements on 76 CRJ200 aircraft owned by SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet. Bombardier agreed to pay SkyWest $90 million by January 2017 along with certain other consideration in exchange for the release. Both the required sale of each aircraft and the cost to SkyWest of returning the aircraft to mid-time condition were points of risk and uncertainty for SkyWest that this termination agreement eliminates.

As a result of the expectation to remove ExpressJet CRJ200s from service and the Bombardier RVG termination agreement, SkyWest is evaluating its total 50-seat CRJ200 fleet and related long-lived assets for impairment in Q4 2016. SkyWest currently anticipates it will record a non-cash impairment charge in Q4 2016 estimated to be in the range of $440 million to $490 million (pre-tax) on its CRJ200 aircraft and other 50-seat aircraft assets, net of the $90 million in cash proceeds from the Bombardier termination agreement.

Copyright Photo: Delta Connection-ExpressJet Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-600-2B19) N923EV (msn 7826) ATL (Jay Selman). Image: 403333.

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