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SkyWest Airlines is the largest regional airline in the United States, operating approximately 487 aircraft across 19 domiciles under codeshare agreements with all four major U.S. carriers — United, Delta, American, and Alaska. It is a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. (NYSE: SKYW), headquartered in St. George, Utah, and employs approximately 5,000 active pilots. Russell "Chip" Childs has been CEO of SkyWest, Inc. since January 2016.
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame SkyWest is this: it is the premier regional airline in the U.S. — the largest, the most financially stable, the only regional that has never furloughed a pilot in 50+ years of operations, and the only major regional with an independent (non-ALPA) pilot group. SkyWest offers rapid captain upgrades (as fast as 1.5 years), 19 domicile options across the country, and flying for all four mainline partners. It generated $4.1 billion in revenue and $428 million in net income in FY2025 — one of the strongest financial performances of any regional carrier in history.
For most pilots, SkyWest is a stepping stone to a mainline career. But the combination of upgrade speed, domicile flexibility, no-furlough history, and financial stability makes it the regional of choice for many aspiring airline pilots.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.