SkyWest Airlines to expand presence at Tucson airport, creating 50 new jobs

Utah-based SkyWest Airlines plans to build a new maintenance hangar at Tucson International Airport that will create 50 new jobs.

The planned 199,000-square foot hangar on the airport’s southeast side will cost an estimated $38 million and allow SkyWest to expand its longtime operations at TIA, according to city documents.

SkyWest is a regional airline that operates through partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

A SkyWest spokeswoman said construction specifics and timeline are not yet finalized.

SkyWest’s hangar project may qualify for about $500,000 in financial aid under the city of Tucson’s Primary Jobs Incentives Program, under an agreement approved Tuesday by the Tucson City Council.

The program gives project owners a share of the sales taxes generated by construction to reimburse them for permit and impact fees, public infrastructure and job training.

According to city documents, SkyWest expects that the expansion of its operations at TIA will create 50 new jobs, paying an average of at least $50,164 annually, including 30 that will pay at least $54,932 annually.

The project is expected to generate $494,000 of sales tax revenue for the city, while generating just over $1 million in total gross direct revenue for the city.

If it follows through on its plans as expected, SkyWest would qualify for a maximum reimbursement of the lesser of $494,000, or less if the project cost drops below $38 million; or the airline’s actual expenses for permitting, public improvements and training.

Headquartered in St. George, Utah, SkyWest carried more than 36 million passengers in 2021 with a fleet of more than 500 aircraft.

SkyWest opened a maintenance operation at TIA in 2002 and in 2011 moved into part of a hangar originally built for Lockheed Martin.

“SkyWest has been a longtime member of our aviation community, and companies like this are an important asset for Southern Arizona,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., which worked with SkyWest on its expansion plans.