Skywest expansion - more F100s & A320 in 2008

[David Eyre]

From The Australian:
Skywest adds two Fokkers
Geoffrey Thomas | December 07, 2007

THE rise of Perth-based Skywest Airlines has continued with the delivery of two more 100-seat Fokker 100 jets and a move for regulatory approval to fly a 180-seat A320.

The two Fokker 100s take the airline's fleet to five jets - with one more (Fokker 100) for delivery in March - plus seven 46-seat Fokker 50 turboprops.

Skywest is also looking at an additional two Fokker 100s to meet demand as it closes on a number of major resource fly-in/fly-out contracts.
The airline's managing director, Hugh Davin, was coy about details of the contracts but confirmed that the airline was about to launch its air operator's certificate application for the Airbus A320, due for delivery in November next year.

Mr Davin was lured back to Skywest 12 months ago from National Jet Systems, in the most significant management move in the West Australian airline industry in decades, to lead the Perth-based carrier's drive into the resource sector.

Mr Davin spent 23 years with Skywest before leaving in 1993 over concerns about retaining the Coastwatch contract and the airline's development of the resources market.

In 1994, he set up NJS in Western Australia with just two BAe146s. Over the next 12 years, the NJS fleet grew to 18 jets, based in Western Australia, and the airline secured work with most of Australia's blue chip mining companies, the Coastwatch contract and also the right to operate a fleet of eight Boeing 717s for QantasLink.

In the past 12 months, Mr Davin, aided by new CEO Paul Daff, formerly of Jetstar Asia, and COO Mike Hoar, has taken Skywest's jet fleet from three Fokker 100s operating just five hours a day to five operating or contracted to operate from December1 for almost 11 hours a day.

The new management team at Skywest turned around the airline's operational performance, which had suffered because of a lack of focus. They improved elements such as on-time performance, which has soared from a low of 77 per cent late last year to 99 per cent in September.

The turnaround has also been marked with a significant lift in revenue and profits. The airline has just announced a 33 per cent jump in revenue to $103 million for the 2006-07 year and a 50 per cent lift in profit to $6.28 million despite much higher fuel costs and a $3.76 million one-off tax charge. The revenue rise was boosted by a 62 per cent increase in charter work from the resource sector, while RPT (Regular Public Transport) revenue rose 25 per cent.

Skywest has lifted its scheduled charter revenue from a "low base" in 2003 to about $35 million in the 2006-07 year.

Skywest's plans for an A320 were first mentioned in September last year but put on hold until Mr Davin arrived early this year. Originally the airline announced an ambitious lease of four aircraft, but that has been scaled back to one to be delivered in November next year. Yet insiders suggest that by the time the first arrives, a second will be scheduled. Long-term plans still call for at least four A320s.

The A320s would be used to meet increasing demand on routes such as Perth-Broome and Perth-Karratha and for resource contracts.

Skywest finds itself in a unique position in Western Australia in that it can combine RPT and scheduled charter on the same flight. This is valuable for the larger resource-sector clients, who are required by the state Government to support local communities in return for their right to mine certain resources.


Regards,
David

[Capn Bloggs]

Oh No! Not MORE F@kkers! :ugh:

Closing in a few more contracts eh? Bad move giving him the boot, me thinks...:}

[Ralph the Bong]

What's so unique about combining RPT and scheduled charter pax on the same flight? :confused:

QF have beeen doing it for years in WA.:zzz:

[IAW]

In this case Ralph it isn't Skywest that is special, it is WA.

[topend3]

i've also heard NJS are going to lose the QFLink contract and Jetstar are going to assume these routes with A319 equipment...or retain the 717's...

[JetRacer]

topend3 wrote:

i've also heard NJS are going to lose the QFLink contract and Jetstar are going to assume these routes with A319 equipment...or retain the 717's...

As long as Jetstar 'absorb' the flight and cabin crews, then that would be alright by me! :ok::E:D

[Icarus2001]

NJS management are too busy trying to improve their bottom line by screwing the T & Cs of their crews (flight & cabin) to actually build the business.

[XRlent100]

The only problem Jetracer is that of seniority. If indeed Jetstar do take over QFLink in W.A. with A319's you would expect current Jetstar F/O's to get the command positions and the current NJS pilots may have to start down the bottom of the pack.

Is that still ok with you?

[pilotdude09]

i've also heard NJS are going to lose the QFLink contract and Jetstar are going to assume these routes with A319 equipment...or retain the 717's...

From what ive heard contract still has several years to run with NJS, so not happening anytime soon.

Plusi cant see JQ getting any/many contracts at all, most companys like the full service carriers and for one companys, flights for FIFO workers must have food and drink provided and alcohol at the persons own cost. They also like the fact the plane has Qantas written on it............

Really cant see JQ taking over, it would have major implications for both QF and NJS and QF wouldnt take any contracts with them would they? since they are all run under NJS (717 services anyway).

Hard to say if JQ would do well in WA, think DJ will do alright when they get their A into G. JQ just dont have the offerings the others do ie. FF programs (unless you par horrendous fares on JQ), food+drink etc etc

Also i really cannont see QF canabalising their own markets, which they must make a killing on especially where there is no or barely any competiton, PER-KTA, PER-Hedland and PER-BRM must do alright for them as well.

[topend3]

must have food and drink provided and alcohol at the persons own cost

i thought JQ did this, you can buy meals and drinks, most of the internal sectors are 2 hrs or less so is this really an issue? If JQ can do it at a much lower cost then why wouldn't this be an attractive option for QF?

DJ have been sniffing around for contracts and I know they are planning to visit the Pilbara ports early in '08 to look at options for operating the E-Jets...

[Tidbinbilla]

Let's get back on topic, please.

SKYWEST. Thank you.

TID

[Skystar320]

Good Gosh: That A320 rumour has been out for years

Its as nearly as a bad as Royal Brunei putting the application in to fly domestic services in Australia

[topend3]

i think you are wrong there skystar. the a320 rumour started mid last year when CVC assumed control of the carrier...

[Skystar320]

okay, pun not intended. Replace the years with months

[pilotdude09]

i thought JQ did this, you can buy meals and drinks, most of the internal sectors are 2 hrs or less so is this really an issue? If JQ can do it at a much lower cost then why wouldn't this be an attractive option for QF?

They do but i mean in contracts (if JQ were to take over) they would have to provide free food and drink and alcohol has to be paid for by punters :)

On topic.........

Will be interesting to see what Skywest do with the 320, Hopefully they give KTA and BRM a daily service each with it, even do a PER-KTA-BRM-PER simialr to what NJS used to do.

[pakeha-boy]

article quote......."approval to fly a 180-seat A320"

ok men,fill me in.....whats the config(seats) of the A-320,that they can cram 180 seats in this beitch..... obviously no first class,.....enlighten me:confused:

[topend3]

XR dont have a premium class product so theres no reason why they couldnt operate them in one class 180 seat config same as JQ do...

[pakeha-boy]

topend3.......didnt know that...cheers......180 people in a 320.....I,m in awe:ugh:

[Capn Bloggs]

180 people or 500 sheep! :}

[alangirvan]

pakeha-boy if you have done most of flying in North America, you may not have experienced planes that give passengers far less comfort than the planes in North America.

Where 737-200s used to have 112-121 seats in AirNZ single class service, the Inclusive Tour airlines in UK/Europe had 130 seats. You sat in these planes for three or four hours to go on your annual holiday.

When the first LCCs started in Europe, they adopted IT seating, so Easyjet had 149 seats in a 737-300 where Southwest had 138 or 142 seats. Ryanair operates 737-800s with 189 seats.

Easy tried operating A219s with 156 seats, but they had to take some seat out. In North America, I think Skybus is hoping to use 156 seats in A319s, that is the first US carrier to introduce European levels of comfort.

180 seats in normal for a European IT/LCC carrier, and that is round about the seating capacity of Tiger and Jetstar in Australian service.

If Skywest is wanting to win mining charters with A320s in 180 seat configuration, the mining companies will expect some feedback from their employees about the tight seating configuration.

[oil additive]

Skywest currently boast the greatest seat pitch in the country with 34 inches. I couldn't see them changing this marketing angle if they get a new flagship?

[spacepodlife]

I would say 150 pax is about the typical configuration for an A320 with single class of service and decent legroom.

http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a320/a320/specifications.html

[VH-UFO]

Just a query on the A320.

I had an interview with FMG recently (got the job), which currently use the
F100 into Cloudbreak.

They said to us during the group discussion that they were looking at changing from flying in and out on thu/fri to a single flight on the friday using a bigger aircraft.

Is this the A320 rumour coming true?

[higherplane]

The powers that be are in high level talks about a couple of A380's as I type this. Looks like some runway works will be happening soon at Cloudbreak!

[Swift6]

UFO- It would take more than an A320 to get the amount of people that work at Cloudbreak out on one flight!

When I worked out of there they were almost up to 3 flights a day monday-friday.

They have a bit of work to do on improving the runway to allow aircraft of a320 size to use the airport.

BTW - what position did you take up with FMG?

[topend3]

Existing width is 30m so OK for A320, provided shoulders are sealed. Being hot and high length could be an issue in summer but at 2300m I would have thought this could be adequate.

There is some new work coming up at Karratha that is out to tender at the moment, and with Virgin now a serious player in the resources game and able to throw some 737's onto mining routes, perhaps it's time XR had a larger type.

[The Green Goblin]

I believe XR have all the ops manuals and SOP's in place to support the A320 when it is required.

[Dunnza]

Which contract is that topend3

[topend3]

Involving a large foreign owned iron ore project...

[sandpit]

More likely to be Strategic isn't it? I can't imagine Derby will fully utilise their western A320.

[topend3]

Is the Strategic A320 still coming? Thought it was supposed to start end of this month...maybe XR can cross-hire, they seem to like hiring off competitors

[Icarus2001]

and with Virgin now a serious player in the resources game and able to throw some 737's onto mining routes

What makes them a serious player? They do not fly direct to ANY mine sites. How much MINE work do they do?

Are they able to THROW SOME 737's on to mine routes? Really?

[VH-UFO]

Swift6, BTW - what position did you take up with FMG?

As an operator. Flying up in October, getting paid more than at RIO when i was on a 2:1 roster.

[cunninglinguist]

i think you are wrong there skystar. the a320 rumour started mid last year when CVC assumed control of the carrier

Wrong, the little gem below from my old mate dijon Mustard ( where'e he go ? )

Back to the subject at hand :1st A320 arrives Nov 2006
Lets get back to the original post ; good luck to the alliance guys and gals !!!!!!!!!!
1st A320 arrives november 2006
cheers
Dijon Moutard


From what ive heard contract still has several years to run with NJS, so not happening anytime soon.
Plusi cant see JQ getting any/many contracts at all, most companys like the full service carriers and for one companys, flights for FIFO workers must have food and drink provided and alcohol at the persons own cost. They also like the fact the plane has Qantas written on it............


Q'Link contract always had a " get out " clause, if for any resaon QF see fit to change the routes to 737?A320, its bye bye NJS, ask the people who used to be Mackay/Rocky/Brisbane/Canberra base what happened when Jet* came along on the east coast.
What contracts do Jet* require pray tell ? All the contracts that involve Q'Link 737s are owned by QF, I don't think the food/drink thing would be too much of a problem, just .give them a cheaper fare, no J in Q'link anyway

[Ultergra]

XR are the most professional outfit on YPPH's apron.

BUT, you would have to ask yourself the question... with now Qantas, Virgin, Strategic, Cobham and Skippers (rumoured to be poised to take on the Karratha to Barrow Island runs for the Gorgon Project) XR, to quote "The Green Goblin":

"I believe XR have all the ops manuals and SOP's in place to support the A320 when it is required."

Fair call, but is... 'when required' too late? When other operator's already have them or larger? Before things pick up, which they are starting to show signs of, perhaps now is the time for XR to go for maximum growth! I hear they are hiring, perhaps a sign????

[XanaduX]

As an operator. Flying up in October, getting paid more than at RIO when i was on a 2:1 roster.

What's an operator, or is that what they call pilots these days? :confused:

[topend3]

What makes them a serious player? They do not fly direct to ANY mine sites. How much MINE work do they do?


Sorry, I call mining routes Newman, Karratha, Port Hedland, where they currently fly using E-190's. Not hard to switch some 737 equipment onto these, as they have already done on the odd day to Karratha. Funny how XR could not make a go on any of these routes as an RPT carrier and now Virgin is doing quite well. Mining companies also want lounges and DJ will have one in T3 by end December.

Also, I think Barrow's strip is limited to E-170/146 type from a pavement loading perspective, perhaps F100 at a pinch.

[muII]

Skywest leads the pack for On Time Departures - 2nd Month in a row
Skywest, Western Australia’s largest regional airline is once again the frontrunner for punctuality for the month of December. Skywest achieved the highest On Time Departures in Australia, of any airline.
Results published by the BTRE (Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics) show Skywest’s December on Time Departures at 86.1% and On Time Arrivals at 85.7% for the month, compared to the national average of 79.0% for departures and 77.7% for arrivals.

[topend3]

and? December last year...so what?

[muII]

Yeh, so what.......

[topend3]

sorry, my point was you are using something from nearly 12 months ago

[Dunnza]

Are all things cosey at Skywest?

[Swift6]

The strip at Cloudbreaks certainly wide enough for an A320 but there would need to be some strengthening of the pavement to handle the weight of them. I'm not sure TODR etc..
The pavement struggles in the heat with F100's at a weight of around 40 tonnes. An A320 is much heavier than that.
I'm sure they would love to bring an A380 in if they could and probably think it could be done - knowing some of the people that think they make the decisions!

VH-UFO - you'll enjoy it up there the people are pretty good. And the camp is really comfortable.

[Van Gough]

[QUOTE]Skywest leads the pack for On Time Departures - 2nd Month in a row/QUOTE]


2 months of the year? What about the other 10?:hmm:

[Hoofharted]

And when you've got a fleet of two or three aircraft chances are you'll look good in the statistics field. :ok:

[outback aviator]

Try 16 a/c.

[Gobetter]

Fair bit of talk in WA media regarding XR's expansion into Singapore, Bali and Phuket. The talk of 4 x A320's dusted off after the GFC put an end to it early last year. Plus the 9th F100 to join the fleet November this year... The article went on to say that the A320's would be used for mining charter's through the week, then International destination's over the weekend.

Sound's promising!

Skywest sets sights on push into Asia - The West Australian (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/6106132/skywest-sets-sights-on-push-into-asia/)

:ok:

[alangirvan]

Absolute howler in the last line of the article by Geoff Thomas quoted - the A320 is one of only two jet aircraft allowed into the noise sensitive London City Airport. In fact it is the much smaller version, the A318 which is about to start a specialised all Business Class service across the Atlantic. Other jets into London City include E-170s and trusty old 146/RJs I thought Fokker 70s were demonstrated into London City.