EX-99.1 2 tm1921310d1_ex99-1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

CONTACT:Investor RelationsCorporate Communications
 435.634.3200435.634.3553
 Investor.relations@skywest.comcorporate.communications@skywest.com

  

SkyWest, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2019 Profit

 

Third Quarter Highlights:

 

·$1.79 earnings per diluted share, up 14% from $1.57 in Q3 2018
·Pre-tax income of $119 million, up from $110 million in Q3 2018; net income of $91 million, up from $83 million in Q3 2018
·Five new E175 aircraft scheduled for delivery in Q4 2019 under a previously announced agreement

 

ST. GEORGE, UTAH, October 30, 2019 – SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW) (“SkyWest”) today reported financial and operating results for Q3 2019, including net income of $91 million, or $1.79 per diluted share, compared to net income of $83 million, or $1.57 per diluted share, for Q3 2018. Earnings per diluted share increased 14% in Q3 2019 from Q3 2018, primarily due to SkyWest’s ongoing fleet transition. SkyWest has added 13 new E175 aircraft and 11 new CRJ900 aircraft since Q3 2018 and reduced aircraft ownership costs through early lease buyouts on 52 aircraft executed in 2019.

 

Commenting on the results, Chip Childs, Chief Executive Officer and President of SkyWest, said “We were pleased to deliver another solid quarter as we continue executing our fleet strategy and remain positioned for future opportunity based on strong demand for our product. I want to thank our SkyWest professionals for their excellent work during the quarter.”

 

Financial Highlights

 

Revenue was $760 million in Q3 2019, down from $829 million in Q3 2018 due to the sale of ExpressJet Airlines (“ExpressJet”) in January 2019. Excluding ExpressJet revenue in Q3 2018, Q3 2019 revenue increased $71 million, primarily from adding 24 new aircraft since Q3 2018.

 

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Operating expenses were $614 million in Q3 2019, down from $691 million in Q3 2018, also due to the sale of ExpressJet. Excluding ExpressJet operating expenses in Q3 2018, Q3 2019 operating expenses increased $62 million, primarily from growth in operations as a result of additional aircraft placed into service since Q3 2018.

 

Operational Update

 

Aircraft deliveries under previously announced deals for Delta

 

New E175 aircraft to be financed and operated by SkyWest:

 

·Five aircraft scheduled for delivery in Q4 2019
·Six aircraft scheduled for delivery from early to mid-2020

 

New CRJ900 aircraft to be financed by Delta and operated by SkyWest:

 

·One aircraft delivered in Q3 2019
·One aircraft scheduled for delivery in mid-2020

 

Used E175 aircraft financed by Delta and operated by SkyWest:

 

·Six aircraft scheduled for in-service dates from early to mid-2020

 

During Q3 2019, SkyWest acquired four CRJ900 aircraft under an early lease buyout. These four aircraft are scheduled to expire under SkyWest’s flying agreement with Delta in 2020.

 

SkyWest also anticipates removing eight CRJ700s from its flying agreement with Delta by the end of 2020. As previously announced, SkyWest has an agreement with Delta to replace these 12 used CRJ aircraft with 12 new aircraft. Following their agreement expirations, SkyWest anticipates utilizing these 12 used aircraft in various ways: placing them with other partners, using the airframe/engines as spare parts and/or leasing the airframes/engines to third parties.

 

Aircraft deliveries under previously announced deals for American

 

SkyWest is scheduled to place ten used CRJ700 aircraft with American throughout 2020 including seven used aircraft that SkyWest anticipates acquiring from a third party and three used aircraft that SkyWest expects to source through upcoming contract expirations with another SkyWest partner.

 

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Lease agreement with a third party for 29 CRJ700 aircraft

 

SkyWest has placed four of 29 CRJ700 aircraft under a previously announced lease agreement with a third party for a ten-year term as of September 30, 2019. SkyWest anticipates the remaining aircraft will be placed under lease in increments through mid-2020.

 

Capital and Liquidity

 

SkyWest had $572 million in cash and marketable securities at September 30, 2019, up from $550 million at June 30, 2019. During the third quarter of 2019, SkyWest:

 

·Used $25 million to repurchase stock under SkyWest’s $250 million share repurchase program
·Used $30 million to acquire four CRJ900 aircraft under an early lease buyout
·Used $39 million to acquire spare engines and $33 million for other spare aircraft parts and maintenance assets

 

Total debt at September 30, 2019 was $3.0 billion, down from $3.1 billion as of June 30, 2019.

 

About SkyWest

 

SkyWest, Inc. is the holding company for SkyWest Airlines and SkyWest Leasing, an aircraft leasing company. SkyWest Airlines has a fleet of nearly 500 aircraft connecting millions of passengers each month to over 250 destinations and provides commercial air service in cities throughout North America with nearly 2,300 daily flights. SkyWest Airlines operates through partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines to carry more than 40 million passengers annually. Based in St. George, Utah, SkyWest continues to set the standard for excellence across the regional industry with exceptional value for customers, shareholders and its more than 14,000 employees.

 

SkyWest will host its conference call to discuss third quarter 2019 results today, October 30, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time. The conference call number is 1-877-418-5293 for domestic callers, 1-866-605-3852 for Canada callers and 1-412-717-9593 for other international callers. Please call up to ten minutes in advance to ensure you are connected prior to the start of the call. The conference call will also be available live on the Internet at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1088/31930. This press release and additional information regarding SkyWest, including access information for the digital rebroadcast of the third quarter 2019 earnings call, participation at investor conferences, investor presentations and monthly traffic statistic releases, can be accessed at inc.skywest.com.

 

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Forward Looking-Statements

 

In addition to historical information, this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “forecasts,” "expects," "intends," "believes," "anticipates," “estimates,” "should," "likely" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the continued demand for our product, the potential benefits resulting from the sale of ExpressJet, including reduced risk, increased flexibility, efficiency and improved positioning for market opportunities, the scheduled aircraft deliveries for SkyWest Airlines in upcoming years and the related removal from service and/or placement into service of certain aircraft, the expected terms, timing and benefits related to SkyWest’s leasing and joint venture transactions, as well as SkyWest’s future financial and operating results, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, intentions and outlook, and other statements that are not historical facts. All forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date hereof and are based on information available to SkyWest as of such date. SkyWest assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. Readers should note that many factors could affect the future operating and financial results of SkyWest and could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements set forth in this release. These factors include, but are not limited to, the prospects of entering into agreements with existing or other carriers to fly new aircraft, ongoing negotiations between SkyWest and its major partners regarding their contractual obligations, uncertainties regarding operation of new aircraft, the ability to attract and retain qualified pilots, the impact of regulatory issues such as pilot rest rules and qualification requirements, and the ability to obtain aircraft financing.

 

Actual operational and financial results of SkyWest will likely also vary, and may vary materially, from those anticipated, estimated, projected or expected for a number of other reasons, including, in addition to those identified above: the challenges of competing successfully in a highly competitive and rapidly changing industry; developments associated with fluctuations in the economy and the demand for air travel; the financial stability of SkyWest’s major partners and any potential impact of their financial condition on the operations of SkyWest; fluctuations in flight schedules, which are determined by the major partners for whom SkyWest conducts flight operations; variations in market and economic conditions; significant aircraft lease and debt commitments; residual aircraft values and related impairment charges; labor relations and costs; the impact of global instability; rapidly fluctuating fuel costs, and potential fuel shortages; the impact of weather-related or other natural disasters on air travel and airline costs; aircraft deliveries; the ability to attract and retain qualified pilots and other unanticipated factors. Risk factors, cautionary statements and other conditions which could cause SkyWest’s actual results to differ materially from management’s current expectations are contained in SkyWest’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

 

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SkyWest, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(Dollars and Shares in Thousands, Except per Share Amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

  

Three Months Ended

September 30,

  

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

 
   2019   2018   2019   2018 
OPERATING REVENUES                    
 Flying agreements  $738,838   $816,057   $2,164,173   $2,377,659 
 Airport customer service and other   21,457    13,218    64,199    40,531 
 Total operating revenues   760,295    829,275    2,228,372    2,418,190 
                     
OPERATING EXPENSES                    
 Salaries, wages and benefits   251,414    301,378    752,768    901,775 
 Aircraft maintenance, materials and repairs   133,521    142,285    376,572    423,665 
 Depreciation and amortization   92,795    86,088    272,929    246,386 
 Aircraft fuel   31,063    30,258    87,570    87,208 
 Airport-related expenses   27,808    25,655    89,237    80,852 
 Aircraft rentals   17,676    36,827    55,840    119,015 
 Special items   -    -    21,869    - 
 Other operating expenses   59,577    68,859    184,634    206,511 
 Total operating expenses   613,854    691,350    1,841,419    2,065,412 
OPERATING INCOME   146,441    137,925    386,953    352,778 
                     
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)                    
 Interest income   3,542    2,283    11,081    5,692 
 Interest expense   (31,606)   (31,440)   (96,884)   (86,485)
 Other income, net   361    1,157    47,367    3,470 
 Total other expense, net   (27,703)   (28,000)   (38,436)   (77,323)
                     
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES   118,738    109,925    348,517    275,455 
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES   27,399    26,879    80,945    62,189 
NET INCOME  $91,339   $83,046   $267,572   $213,266 
                     
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE  $1.80   $1.60   $5.24   $4.10 
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE  $1.79   $1.57   $5.19   $4.03 
                     
Weighted average common shares                    
 Basic   50,746    52,039    51,111    52,002 
 Diluted   51,129    52,981    51,568    52,976 

  

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SkyWest, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Summary of Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in Thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

  

September 30,

2019

  

December 31,

2018

 
Cash and marketable securities  $571,506   $689,329 
Other current assets   238,883    331,465 
Total current assets   810,389    1,020,794 
           
Property and equipment, net   5,245,792    4,963,732 
Deposit on aircraft   50,906    42,012 
Other long-term assets   490,572    286,674 
Total assets  $6,597,659   $6,313,212 
           
Current portion, long-term debt  $362,582   $350,206 
Other current liabilities   598,957    574,620 
Total current liabilities   961,539    924,826 
           
Long-term debt, net of current maturities   2,622,236    2,809,768 
Other long-term liabilities   897,624    614,337 
Stockholders' equity   2,116,260    1,964,281 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity  $6,597,659   $6,313,212 

 

Unaudited Operating Highlights – SkyWest Airlines

 

  

Three Months Ended

September 30,

  

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

 
   2019   2018   Change   2019   2018   Change 
Block hours   375,933    355,264    5.8%   1,096,104    1,028,492    6.6%
Departures   219,272    207,074    5.9%   627,799    592,139    6.0%
                               
Adjusted flight completion   99.9%   99.9%   0.0 pts    99.9%   99.9%   0.0 pts 
Raw flight completion   98.5%   98.9%   (0.4) pts    97.8%   98.5%   (0.7) pts 
                               
Passengers carried   11,568,831    10,784,556    7.3%   32,566,966    30,101,561    8.2%
Passenger load factor   83.9%   83.0%   0.9 pts    82.3%   81.6%   0.7 pts 
                               
Average passenger trip length   501    489    2.5%   501    490    2.2%

 

On January 22, 2019, SkyWest completed the sale of ExpressJet to a third party. The unaudited operating highlights above include SkyWest Airlines only and exclude ExpressJet in both periods for comparability purposes.

 

Adjusted flight completion percent excludes weather cancellations. Raw flight completion includes weather cancellations.

 

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SkyWest, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Additional Operational Information (unaudited)

 

SkyWest’s total fleet in service increased by one aircraft during Q3 2019, as follows:

 

Aircraft in scheduled service at June 30, 2019:   482 
Additions:     
New CRJ900 aircraft:   1 
Aircraft in scheduled service at September 30, 2019:   483 

 

SkyWest’s total fleet in service decreased by 91 aircraft over the last 12 months, as follows:

 

Aircraft in scheduled service at September 30, 2018:        574 
Additions:          
New E175 aircraft:   13      
New CRJ900 aircraft:   11      
Total new aircraft added:        24 
Used aircraft transitioned back into service, net        18 
SkyWest Airlines removals:          
CRJ900 aircraft:        (5)
ExpressJet removals:          
ERJ145 aircraft:   (100)     
CRJ700 aircraft:   (28)     
         (128)
Aircraft in scheduled service at September 30, 2019:        483 

 

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SkyWest, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Additional Operational Information (continued and unaudited)

 

Completed Block Hours by Aircraft Type

 

   Three months ended September 30,   Nine months ended September 30, 
SkyWest Airlines:  2019   2018   Variance %   2019   2018   Variance % 
E175s   135,780    120,694    12.5%   395,776    329,667    20.1%
CRJ900s   31,595    28,175    12.1%   93,988    84,588    11.1%
CRJ700s   75,612    68,621    10.2%   224,448    201,687    11.3%
CRJ200s   132,946    137,774    (3.5)%   381,892    412,550    (7.4)%
Total Block Hours   375,933    355,264    5.8%   1,096,104    1,028,492    6.6%

 

Aircraft in Scheduled Service and Block Hour Production Forecast for 2019

 

   As of
12/31/2018		   As of
3/31/2019		   As of
6/30/2019		   As of
9/30/2019		   As of
12/31/2019		         
SkyWest Airlines aircraft (1):   (Actual)    (Actual)    (Actual)    (Actual))    (Estimate)         
E175s   146    147    151    151    156         
CRJ900s   41    43    42    43    43         
CRJ700s   99    99    99    99    94         
CRJ200s   184    187    190    190    190         
Total SkyWest Airlines   470    476    482    483    483         

 

   As of
12/31/2018		                                         
ExpressJet aircraft (1):   (Actual)                                         
ERJ145s   100                                         
CRJ200s   16                                         
CRJ700s   10                                         
Total ExpressJet   126                                         

 

   Q4 2018   Q1 2019   Q2 2019   Q3 2019   Q4 2019   Total 2019 
SkyWest Airlines (2):   (Actual)    (Actual)    (Actual)    (Actual)    (Estimate)    (Estimate) 
Block Hours   351,928    349,389    370,782    375,933    369,000    1,465,000 

  

  (1)The aircraft count in the table above excludes aircraft removed from SkyWest’s scheduled service. Actual fleet counts may vary from the forecast due to timing of aircraft removed from service, timing of aircraft placed into service when transitioning between flying contracts, and timing of new aircraft deliveries.
  
 As of September 30, 2019, SkyWest leased four CRJ200s, four CRJ700s and five CRJ900s to third parties (these aircraft are excluded from the table above).

 

  (2)Actual production may vary from estimates for various reasons including, but not limited to, timing of aircraft removals and deliveries and anticipated flight completion rates. Actual block hours presented for Q4 2018 and Q1 2019 in the table above exclude block hours operated by ExpressJet prior to the sale of ExpressJet on January 22, 2019. ExpressJet generated approximately 17,000 block hours in the month of January 2019 through the date of sale. ExpressJet also generated 81,500 block hours in Q4 2018.

 

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