SkyWest Airlines Takes Over Routes
"It's a tough day." That was how Jason Gross, who until Saturday
was a pilot for Midwest Airlines regional carrier Skyway, described
the impact of the carrier's cessation of operations this
weekend.
As ANN reported, Midwest
announced in January it planned to scrap Skyway, in favor of
farming out regional flights to SkyWest Airlines. That Utah-based
carrier began taking over routes formerly operated by Skyway in
March; on Saturday, the last Skyway flight arrived at Mitchell
International Airport in Milwaukee, WI, from Green Bay, greeted by
a water cannon salute.
Midwest's reason for grounding Skyway is similar to why American
Airlines and Delta are looking to sell off their own regional
operations: because often, contracted carriers can fly those same
routes, much less expensively.
It's worth noting no one could accuse Skyway of being a
financial drag on Midwest's ledger sheets; in fact, the regional
carrier was the fastest-growing among Midwest's holdings in terms
of passengers and revenue. The airline also posted a significant
bump in earnings last year... but Midwest believes SkyWest offers
the opportunity for even greater profits.
SkyWest plans to fly most of Skyway's old routes, though the new
airline will end service Michigan's Upper Peninsula. SkyWest does
offer some enticing features for passengers used to flying Skyway,
and its older Fairchild 328 regional jets; SkyWest flies
50-seat CRJs.
The move left 380 former Skyway flight attendants, gate agents,
and pilots out of work, including Gross -- who moved with his wife
from Waukesha to Milwaukee two years ago to fly left-seat for the
airline. "This was all my hopes and dreams to come here," he told
WTMJ-4.
Rendell Schmidt, chairman of the pilots union at Skyway, said
the last contract was negotiated with the assumption the carrier
would remain in business... so pilots don't have any severance
packages, unlike FAs and mechanics.
Gross is among a handful of Skyway pilots who found work with
other carriers; in this case, Northwest subisidiary Compass
Airlines. But he's starting at the bottom of the seniority list,
and the new job means a commute to Minneapolis.
"We're going to stay here no matter what," said Jason Gross'
wife, Shannon. "We have too many family and friends here to
leave."
Though its flight operations are now grounded, Skyway will
continue to provide limited services for Midwest Airlines and
Midwest Connect, including ramp operations and dining services.
The operation hopes, in turn, to contract those services to
other airlines down the road... meaning, one day Skyway may be the
benefactor, not the victim, of outsourcing practices.
(ANN thanks SkyWest Capt. Moises Romero for his photo
of the water cannon salute.)
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