SkyWest may seek merger with rival airline ExpressJet

[meritflyer]

LINKY

Interesting to say the least.

[jtrain609]

That would make SkyJetAtlantic, ExpressSoutheast...West, AtlanticJetWest, or whatever other combination of names we could come up with, the third largest airline in the country at 7,700 pilots, making it bigger than Continental, Delta, Northwest or Airways.

[OldTownPilot]

ow ow ow, Lets pump up our stock too!!!!! says skywest.

[SmitteyB]

Is there really profit in the 50 seat RJ market anymore? There isn't really any new RFPs for 50 seaters anymore.

Definitely an interesting move for Skywest. Don't do it Ream!

[777forever]

Oh wow, Consolidation 2008 continues in full force. Skywest is trying to become really big. As far as Skywest stock, found a good read couple days ago:





Adviser Soapbox
Skywest Set To Soar Higher
David Fried, Buyback Letter 06.12.07, 5:01 PM ETThere's an old joke about airlines that goes about like this: "How do you make a small fortune in airlines? Start with a large fortune!"
When you finish chuckling over the fact that bankruptcy is an all-too-frequent relief for the nation's embattled airlines, let me remind you of one stock that has been my favorite since I originally bought it for the Buyback Letter Stock-Picker’s Portfolio back in 1996: SkyWest.
We bought it in April 1996 and sold in January 1998 for a 186% profit. We bought it again in October 2002 and sold in November 2005 for a 96% profit.

We’re buying Skywest again for our Stock-Picker’s Portfolio because the basic philosophy that made it a great company a decade ago remains unchanged.
Based in St. George, Utah, SkyWest is the nation's largest independently owned regional airline and is a contract carrier for United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and, most recently, Midwest Airlines.
SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines (the two airlines owned by SkyWest, Inc.) primarily serve as feeder airlines to and from smaller airports and regional hubs.


The short story on SkyWest is that it is nimbler than the big legacy carriers and not burdened by their bloated labor costs. It has a steady earnings stream, good cash flow and an attractive price-to-earnings ratio of 11. It enjoys a reputation for being an efficient, low-cost operator and the best-managed regional airline in the business.
Really, a little history is in order to paint the big picture of how far SkyWest has come. In 1972, SkyWest started with little equipment and a big idea. Ralph Atkin, a St. George, Utah, lawyer motivated by his own frustration with limited air service, bought Dixie Airlines to shuttle businessmen to Salt Lake City. The first SkyWest flights were penny-a-pound airplane rides along with parachutists and stunts. It was a rocky beginning, with a whopping 256 people flying SkyWest's services that year in a six-seat Piper Seneca.


"We could say that we never cancelled a flight. We may have gotten there four hours late, but we got people to their destination," said a good-humored Atkin at the time. But business was so bad that efforts to sell or even give away the struggling airline failed. Finally, a reorganization cut overhead costs, personnel and aircraft, and Jerry Atkin, 26, took over, becoming the youngest president of a scheduled airline in the nation. The company turned around, and soon SkyWest began expanding across the Western U.S., becoming the eleventh largest regional carrier in 1984 with the acquisition of Sun Aire of Palm Springs, Calif.
SkyWest had its initial public offering in 1986, and raised enough money to pay off a sizable chunk of the long-term debt accrued from the purchase of Sun Aire and a new maintenance facility in Utah.


In 1985 SkyWest began a cooperative services agreement as Western Express, a feeder service for Western Airlines at their Salt Lake City hub, later acquired by Delta. In 1995, SkyWest began operating flights for Continental out of LAX. The relationship was discontinued two years later when SkyWest began flying for United Airlines.
Thus began the most exciting period of growth for SkyWest as it managed two of the world’s largest most powerful partners; both wanted and expected seamless service. SkyWest needed an unprecedented number of planes, employees and training in a very short amount of time to pull it off.
SkyWest's United Express flights out of LAX, SFO and DEN became its largest operation by the late 1990s. A partnership with Continental Airlines was reinvigorated in 2003 out of IAH, and was discontinued June 2005.
In August 2005, Delta announced that it was selling Atlantic Southeast Airlines SkyWest, Inc. for $425 million in cash, removing ASA from a weaker legacy carrier and placing it in much stronger hands. One month later, SkyWest, Inc. announced that the acquisition had been completed, making SkyWest a player on the national stage. Now, through SkyWest Airlines and ASA, the company operates the largest regional airline in the United States.


A decade ago, SkyWest was in the midst of making its fleet bigger and more efficient. It had operated three types of aircraft--the 19-passenger Fairchild Metroliner, 35-passenger EMB-120 Brazilias and 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jets. The company has gradually phased out the smallest planes and increased the number of available seats. It now flies a fleet consisting of 30-passenger turboprop Brasilia EMB 120 aircraft, and Bombardier-manufactured 50- and 70-passenger Canadair Regional Jets.
For a company that hired its first flight attendants in 1986, boasted 5,079 workers in 2002 and close to 15,000 today, SkyWest has done a lot of things right with its personnel. SkyWest has always put a priority on employee relations, over the years using peer-elected councils to seek solutions to problems, contribute to job satisfaction and improve cost control.
Employee involvement has helped send profits to the bottom line via many cost-cutting and efficiency-producing ideas that originated from the staff. Employees may purchase SkyWest stock at a discount through a stock purchase plan, giving them an additional incentive to help the company perform.
Importantly, SkyWest’s pilots are not unionized and never have been, which helps to keep labor costs under control and historically accounts for the airline’s excellent on-time performance record (SkyWest was named the No. 1 on-time airline in the U.S. by the Department of Transportation for 2003, 2004 and 2005).
In May, SkyWest announced first quarter 2007 earnings. Operating revenues were $789 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, a 6.2% increase, compared with $742.9 million for the same period last year. Net income was $34.8 million for the quarter, an increase of 0.6% ($0.53 per diluted share) compared with $34.6 million of net income ($0.57 per diluted share) for the same period last year.
Since the mid-1970s, company officials have made strategic moves to expand the company's reach while staying true to its regional niche. SkyWest has grown from a company with annual revenue of under $1 million to a publicly held company with annual revenues of more than $1 billion and almost 15,000 employees. SkyWest is set for continued long-term growth.
SkyWest has been a favorite of mine for the past decade. With a solid history of repurchasing its shares (which, as we know, boosts earnings per share and signals management’s belief that the stock is undervalued), SkyWest’s board in March authorized a buyback of 5 million shares, or 7.8% of all shares outstanding.
In Pictures: 10 Stocks For The Second Half Of 2007

Excerpted from the June 1, 2007, issue of the Buyback Letter. Click here for more of David Fried’s analysis and recommendations in the Buyback Letter.
Click here for more Adviser Soapbox columns.
Send comments to newsletters@forbes.com.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by article

Importantly, SkyWest’s pilots are not unionized and never have been, which . . . historically accounts for the airline’s excellent on-time performance record.

How?

[kellwolf]

Originally Posted by Nick

How?

Wondering the same thing. According to the DOT's website, from Nov 06-Nov 07, Pinnacle's on-time performance was 78%. Skywest was 75%. I don't see what being non-union has to do with it, esp since one of the crappy union carriers with low morale and pilot group ready to burn the place down is 3% better in on-time performance.

[PCL_128]

I think this would be excellent. If this happens, then two out of three carriers owned by Skywest would be ALPA carriers. If you could somehow force a single-carrier petition, then a new union vote of the combined group could finally end the non-union status of Skywest.

[777forever]

Originally Posted by Nick

How?

Good question, I was hoping somebody knew

[aloft]

Originally Posted by PCL_128

If you could somehow force a single-carrier petition, then a new union vote of the combined group could finally end the non-union status of Skywest.

Or not. Remember, it was all the Mesa expats who sunk the ALPA vote at SKYW.

[777forever]

Originally Posted by SmitteyB

Is there really profit in the 50 seat RJ market anymore? There isn't really any new RFPs for 50 seaters anymore.

Definitely an interesting move for Skywest. Don't do it Ream!

There might be a RFP for 50 seaters if Ream and Co. screw up again and CAL releases another 50 at the end of this year. I personally think they learned their lesson the first time and will be a little more conservative this round about.

[PCL_128]

Originally Posted by aloft

Or not. Remember, it was all the Mesa expats who sunk the ALPA vote at SKYW.

True, but Mesa isn't a factor here. The MEC approval ratings are extremely high at ExpressJet and ASA. Those are ALPA's strongest regionals. A strong majority from both carriers would vote in favor of ALPA, and along with the significant minority at Skywest, that would probably seal the deal, at long last.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by 777forever

There might be a RFP for 50 seaters if Ream and Co. screw up again and CAL releases another 50 at the end of this year.

It is not so much about Ream & Co. screwing up as it is about CAL getting what it needs.

[meritflyer]

Interestingly enougn SkyWest has proposed Embraer 170/75 payrates recently. ExpressJet is the largest Embraer jet operator in the country.

[Bluto]

Originally Posted by kellwolf

Wondering the same thing. According to the DOT's website, from Nov 06-Nov 07, Pinnacle's on-time performance was 78%. Skywest was 75%. I don't see what being non-union has to do with it...

The problem is, SkyWest management has sold this idea so consistently that the pilot group, as a majority, buys it. It's a very succesful propoganda campaign.

Somehow, SkyWest pilots are willing to take less as long as they feel they are contributing to the best regional airline in the world. That kind of naive attitude would be almost cute if it wasn't so dangerous to the industry.

[Cruise]

Originally Posted by Nick

How?

I was wondering the same thing!



Well, after reading further, I see Nick and I weren't the only ones who thought that statement was a bunch of BS.

[SmitteyB]

Well taking a delay for no reason at a non-union carrier could get you fired.

At a unionized carrier your job is likely safe.

Keeping my job is incentive enough for me to stay on time.

Just guessing.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by SmitteyB

Well taking a delay for no reason at a non-union carrier could get you fired.

At a unionized carrier your job is likely safe.

Keeping my job is incentive enough for me to stay on time.

Just guessing.

I see your point. However, it would be assumed then, that SkyWest has on time performance that stands out above the unionized carriers, since their unions are suggested to hamper their on-time performance.

Lots of airlines are unionized including the following carriers and more:

Air Canada Jazz
Air Midwest
Air Wisconsin
Alaska
Aloha
American
American Eagle
ATA
ASA
Atlas
Champion
Comair
Continental
Delta
Evergreen
ExpressJet
FedEx
Freedom
Gemini
Hawaiian
Mesa
Mesaba
Midwest
Northwest
Piedmont
Pinnacle
Polar
PSA
Skyway
Spirit
Southwest
TSA
United
US Airways
UPS

I do not see any way that their on-time performance stands out above those companies.

[wheelsup]

I hope they aren't considering AWAC, and I hope AWAC isn't considering selling out. Of course, everyone has a price.

[Pilot802]

I think AWAC should consider a merge with Skywest. I don't think it will happen though, the higher ups are just trying to pad their wallets even more by making the lines out of PHL all 2 and 3 day trips and cutting down on hotels. The price of hotels is the reason for AWAC opening up LGA and RDU as bases as well. So I don't see it happening although I think a lot of the pilots would be happy with it.

[surreal1221]

The monster must feed!!!!

(SKW = monster)

[taildragger173]

We're at a time now where the growth of the regional airlines is now starting to slow. The only way for them to grow is to merge now.

[Velocipede]

They must consolidate. There are too many RJs out there flying not enough passengers. If CAL drops another 50 XJT airplanes, XJT must merge or die.

Period.

[MusketeerMan]

I'd think a SKW/XJT merger would be beneficial to both if any of the SWA rumors are true in regards to starting a regional operation...especially if XJT has some planes that are dropped by CO...

Just my .02

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by Pilot802

I think AWAC should consider a merge with Skywest...although I think a lot of the pilots would be happy with it.

Why do you feel this way? I think AWAC pilots would get royally screwed if SkyWest were to buy them. They'd get the lucrative US Air contract and hire their own 750 pilots to staff the flying - replacing the top heavy AWAC list with fresh new hires. Actually it sounds so good (from SkyWest's standpoint) I can actually see this happening.