Skywest Airlines Australian Airways Company With Charter Flights

Skywest Airlines founded in 1963, is a regional airline company with its headquarters in Perth in Australia. It provides services in the main regions of Western Australia and also charter flights to Indonesia and Bali. Paul Daff is the CEO of the company and Hugh Davin is its Managing Director. It started its operation as Carnarvon Air Taxis, in the year 1963. Ansett Australia was its owner, and till the expiry of Ansett in 2002, the airline had to run and operate flights on their behalf. It then came into the control of Private investors who bought the airline.

CapitveVision Capital Ltd, an investment company with its base in Singapore tried to takeover the Skywest Airlines in 2004 and was successful in occupying a major share. As per the news which broke out on 8th February 2007, the airline was suspected to be the target of a tie-up with Tiger Airways which is based in Singapore. Finally its the Singapore incorporated London Stock Exchange AIM market quoted Skywest Ltd who own the Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd and hold the total 100% share of the airline.

Presently, Skywest Airlines runs a combination of fleet of five Fokker 100 and seven Fokker 50 aircraft which are used for a variety of charter requirements and for scheduled services. As per the October 2006 Australian Aviation Magazine, the lease of four 180-seat A320s from Icelandic transport group Avion was announced by Skywest Airline few days ago and that will be mostly utilized on fly-in or fly-out charter work. For the expansion of its network, it has even announced the lease of Fokker 100 aircraft to the London Stock Exchange, from Aircraft Leasing company Aviation PLC (AVAP.PZ).

Skywest Airlines, as of August 2007, runs scheduled domestic flights from Perth to Western Australia, Victoria and Northern Territory destinations. Apart from this, it has also signed an agreement with several mining companies to provide its services to the rapidly developing Western Australian mining industry with continuous air charter flights to distant minesites. These agreements comprises flights between Perth to Argyle, Perth to Telfer, Perth and The Granites minesite in the Tanami Desert for the Newmont Tanami, Perth and Windarling for Portman Iron Ore and Geraldton to Parabadoo Via Brockman.

Island Bound Holidays has hired a Skywest Fokker 100 from 2004 for undertaking flights to Bali from Broome and Port Hedland. Skywest Airlines joined the Loyalty Program Velocity Rewards of Virgin Blue on 1st November 2007. Virgin Blue and Skywest have united to give a Codeshare Agreement to the Passengers whenever they travel on Virgin Blue or Skywest planes. Passengers now have the freedom to book flights online from Port Headland to Sydney through Skywest and vice-versa through Virgin Blue. Luggage of the passengers are moved to the Final Destination and Tickets will also be given to them for a connecting flight. Skywest Airlines