SkyWest Adds Eight Embraer E175s to Fleet, Replacing Older Regional Jets for Alaska Airlines Flying

Inflight amenities include Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment

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Jun 15, 2015, 08:15 ET

ST. GEORGE, Utah, June 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyWest Airlines announced today that they will purchase eight new, dual-class Embraer E175 jets to fly for Alaska Airlines. The new planes, to be delivered in 2016, will replace eight older regional jets SkyWest currently flies for the Seattle-based carrier.

SkyWest adds eight E175s to fleet for Alaska Airlines flying.

The announcement comes the same month SkyWest takes ownership of the first of seven E175s purchased last fall to be flown for Alaska under a capacity purchase agreement (CPA). The regional carrier will begin flying the planes for Alaska on July 1 with the start of new service from Seattle to both Milwaukee and Oklahoma City, and between Portland, Oregon and St. Louis.

"We're pleased to enhance our Alaska Airlines partnership with these new aircraft," said SkyWest, Inc. President Chip Childs. "Our first E175 flights for Alaska will launch next month, and we look forward to continually improving the product we provide to our partner and their customers with eight additional E175 aircraft next year."

The 76-seat E175 jet will feature 12 seats in first class and 64 in coach. Onboard amenities include Alaska Beyond Entertainment featuring free short subject videos and movies and TV shows for purchase direct to customer devices. Inflight Internet access is also available, as well as Alaska Beyond Delicious which offers Pacific Northwest-inspired food and beverages. Additionally, customers seated in first class will enjoy 110 volt power in every seat.

"The E175 is an excellent regional aircraft that offers customers comforts similar to our mainline jets," said Andrew Harrison, executive vice president and chief revenue officer for Alaska Airlines. "The spacious E175 is particularly well-suited for long, thin routes that are too far for our existing regional aircraft."

SkyWest expects to retire its current regional jet fleet flying for Alaska by fall of 2016.

Editor's note: A high-resolution photo of the Embraer E175 is available for download from Alaska Airlines' online image gallery at http://bit.ly/1B8G4AW.

About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100 cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for eight consecutive years from 2008 to 2015. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2014 and 2015 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit Alaska Airlines' newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

About SkyWest Airlines
SkyWest Airlines, a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW), was named on Forbes 'America's Best Employers 2015' list. As a leading air service provider offering global access to millions of people each month, SkyWest partners with the world's largest network carriers including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, US Airways and Alaska Airlines. With a fleet of 336 aircraft, SkyWest's more than 10,400 aviation professionals operate nearly 1,800 flights each day to 195 destinations throughout North America. SkyWest is known for its industry-leading workforce, exceptional leadership team, and continued solid operational and economic performance. The airline is headquartered in St. George, Utah. Visit www.skywest.com for more information and follow @SkyWestAirlines on Twitter.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150612/222850

SOURCE Alaska Airlines