Gallery Update: CRJ-200 Sighting in Corvallis!

Weather was decent enough to get a quick flight in, even if I stayed local. Actually, I noticed something worth chasing down as I noticed that it flew into Corvallis via FlightRadar24, so I flew down to Corvallis specifically to go see it. What I was after was a CRJ-200 operated by regional powerhouse SkyWest Airlines' newest subsidiary, SkyWest Charter (SWC).

SkyWest Charter was launched by the parent company earlier this year after unveiling the concept last year as a solution to address the so-called ongoing pilot shortage by getting around pilot training hour requirements to alleviate said shortage and continue subsidized flights to small communities across the U.S.; this was a result of SkyWest themselves requesting to terminate routes for over 30 communities served by the government-subsidized Essential Air Service (EAS) program, intended to provide small communities with regular air connectivity around the country back in March 2022, again, blaming the pilot shortage. SkyWest Charter intends to emulate operators like Contour Airlines and JSX, which already operate under Part 135, which are different regulations under Federal Aviation Administration rules as “public charters” rather than “scheduled passenger flights.” As a result, the company can get around certain pilot certification requirements and hire crew with fewer hours to fly these planes. Another important aspect is that the public charter regulations dictate no more than 30 seats, so the SkyWest Charter CRJ-200s, normally a 50-seater would only have 30 passenger seats.

Corvallis (CVO)

Preview:

SkyWest Charter Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200LR (N916SW) parked on the ramp. My first time seeing the SkyWest Charter livery and logo!

Arrived last night from Eugene as SCW3085 for a short hop after working a charter into Eugene from Los Angeles as SCW4020.

Airframe has a rather unremarkable history. It was first delivered to SkyWest Airlines in April 2002 and flew solely on the behalf of United Airlines' United Express branding.

During the pandemic, the airframe went into storage at Tucson for two years from November 2020 until November 2022, when it returned to service.

Airframe was transferred over to SkyWest Charter in June of this year and has been flying regularly around the country. While the airline has received all the necessary regulatory approvals to operate on-demand charter flights, they are still awaiting FAA commuter authority that allows them to operate scheduled charter flights like Contour or JSX.

SkyWest Charter operates under their own code and call-sign, which is "Charter West." While SkyWest Airlines' solution of going the public charter route with 20 less seats seem sound, this isn't without controversy.

SkyWest Charter has drawn criticism from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the largest airline pilots union, as they have repeatedly objected to the certification of this subsidiary, claiming that this strategy roll back the clock and skirt the aviation safety rules regarding pilot hiring minimum requirements and qualifications.

ALPA also argues that Part 135 certified carriers should be barred from receiving contracts to operate government-subsidized essential air service routes, and should instead have the DOT substantially increase funding for the program to ensure air service continues.

Face-to-face with the specially-configured CRJ-200. Another restriction SkyWest Charter will have to adhere to is that their operations must remain independent and outside of the capacity purchase agreements that SkyWest Airlines flies under Part 121 with major carriers, which means no codeshares; interline agreement partnerships should be okay though.

Flight Design CTSW (N306CT) parked on the ramp.

One last look at the SkyWest Charter CRJ-200. Regardless of the controversies this new regional subsidiary generated, SkyWest Charter will need to get their commuter approval from the FAA before they can even start to think about applying for EAS contracts.