SkyWest reports quarterly profit

SkyWest, the parent company of regional carriers SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines, has reported a third-quarter net profit of $36.3 million, compared to net income of $41.3 million in the 2014 September quarter. SkyWest’s third-quarter revenue fell 4.9% to $794 million compared to the year-ago period due to a reduction in its fleet size. The airline group removed 11 ERJ145s and 14 CRJ200s and added five E175s. It fleet now numbers 656 aircraft, 84 fewer than it had at the end of the 2014 third quarter. Operating expenses fell by 7.7% to $715.7 million and operating income was up 32.5%