Skywest Australia

Skywest Airlines was a regional Australian carrier based in Western Australia that operated scheduled and charter passenger services across the state and to neighbouring regions. The airline focused primarily on connecting Perth with remote mining, pastoral, and coastal communities that lacked adequate ground transport links. Founded in 1963, Skywest grew to become one of Western Australia's most significant regional operators, serving destinations including Esperance, Albany, Kalgoorlie, and various Pilbara and Kimberley communities. The airline operated under codeshare and commercial arrangements with Virgin Australia. In 2013, Virgin Australia acquired full ownership of Skywest and subsequently rebranded the operation as Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) in 2014, effectively ending the Skywest brand after more than five decades of service.