Skywest adds another Fokker 50

Skywest has purchased an additional Fokker 50 turboprop to add to its fleet, which it says will help improve its on-time performance and add capacity.

“We are satisfied with the terms we achieved for this plane and are pleased that we will be further able to increase reliability and on time performance and add additional freight capacity,” said executive chairman Jeff Chatfield.

The airline says that the aircraft, which is owned by European interests, has been inspected by Skywest representatives and is being acquired at a cost US$2.01m (A$2.16m). Financing will come from the airline’s operating cashflow over the next 19 months.

The new turborprop will take the airline’s fleet to 17 units, comprised of eight Fokker 50s and nine Fokker 100s. Skywest uses the aircraft to fly a combination of charter and RPT services to regional ports around WA and to Darwin and Denpasar.