Summary
- SkyWest will operate 19 CRJ550s for Delta Connection from Salt Lake City to regional hubs.
- The CRJ550 is lighter, has fewer seats, and allows for lower operating costs.
- 4 routes from Salt Lake City—Cedar City, Elko, Yellowstone, and Butte—will initially be served.
Utah-based regional airline SkyWest Airlines is ready to begin recent scheduled industrial flights for Delta Air Lines’ regional subsidiary Delta Connection inside the subsequent few months with the Bombardier CRJ550 regional jet. The carrier will develop into only the second industrial operator of the CRJ550, following GoJet Airlines, which currently performs flights under the United Express branding.
The aircraft the airline will use for these recent Delta Connection flights shall be former CRJ700 series jets, that are set to be converted right into a lighter model over the summer by the manufacturer. The brand new CRJ550 variant shall be significantly lighter than the previous aircraft and can offer fewer seats to be sure that the plane still meets the restrictions under the scope clause.
Photo: Digital Media Pro | Shutterstock
The airline has indicated that its recent flights will all use the CRJ550, which shall be based out of Delta Connection’s major hub at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and hook up with different regional destinations. SkyWest Airlines will deploy 19 newly converted CRJ550 jets equipped with 50 seats in a two-class configuration.
A brand new type of aircraft
Earlier this 12 months, the leadership team at SkyWest Airlines indicated that a bunch of 19 CRJ700 aircraft could be transitioned to serving as CRJ550 models to comply with recent scope clauses. These agreements, made between major airlines and pilots’ unions, provide strict specifications as to what type of aircraft will be operated by regional airlines or people who operate for the regional subsidiaries of major carriers.
![Delta Connection (SkyWest Airlines) Bombardier CRJ-700 N608SK.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_2360940301.jpg)
SkyWest Airlines To Operate 19 Bombardier CRJ550s For Delta Air Lines
The unique aircraft modification was first pioneered by United Airlines in 2019.
The CRJ550 is lighter than the CRJ700 by about 10,000 kilos, allowing it to fulfill a few of the most stringent operating restrictions. Moreover, aircraft with 50 or fewer seats require just one flight attendant. Because the CRJ550 has a capability of exactly 50, the plane can offer significantly lower operating costs with lower staffing levels.
Photo: Bombardier
Based on an evaluation from Ch-Aviation, as this group of 19 CRJ700 aircraft was approaching the tip of contracted service with American Airlines’ subsidiary American Eagle, SkyWest saw it as a great time to convert the aircraft to the brand new CRJ550 variant. In a press release, the carrier had the next words to share regarding the brand new plane’s role:
“The 2-class CRJ550 replaces flying that was previously single-class to align with the Delta Connection experience customers have come to expect from Delta.”
Deployment on 4 routes
Easy Flying reported on the 4 Salt Lake City-based routes on which the CRJ550 could be deployed earlier this week. They’re as follows:
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Butte’s Bert Mooney Airport (BTM) in Montana
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC) in Utah
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Elko Regional Airport (EKO) in Nevada
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Yellowstone Airport (WYS) in Gallatin County, Montana
The connection to Cedar City is ready to operate 5 times weekly, while the opposite three are to be performed day by day. In consequence, SkyWest Airlines will fly a complete of 26 weekly services with the brand new two-class CRJ550 regional jet.