US regional carrier SkyWest Airlines plans to operate a fleet of 50-seat Bombardier CRJ550s on behalf of Delta Air Lines under the Delta Connection brand.
St George, Utah-based SkyWest is still determining with Delta when it will start flying the aircraft, which are being converted from the larger CRJ700 variant.
”SkyWest is in the process of implementing the CRJ550 in its Delta Connection operations later this year,” the company told FlightGlobal on 13 May. ”The two-class CRJ550 will be modified from SkyWest’s existing fleet and will replace flying that was previously single-class to align with the Delta Connection experience customers have come to expect from Delta.”
In a 10 May investor update, SkyWest said that it is converting 19 CRJ700s – which seat between 66 and 78 passengers – into dual-class 50-seat CRJ550s with more space for premium seating. But it did not reveal at the time which of its airline partners would benefit from the move.
Smaller regional carrier GoJet Airlines, which flies on behalf of United Airlines, is pursuing a similar strategy by converting about 40 CRJ700 fuselages acquired prior to the Covid-19 pandemic into CRJ550s. The ambitious growth plan that could see the carrier’s fleet double in size by the first half of 2026.
The largest regional carrier in the USA, SkyWest has a massive fleet of nearly 500 Embraer and Bombardier jets that if operates for the regional arms of American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta and United.
