SkyWest Airlines, which operates as United Express, Delta Connection and Continental Connection, on Monday said it placed a USD$637 million order to buy 20 CRJ700 regional jet aircraft from Canada's Bombardier.

SkyWest said it expects deliveries to begin in the third quarter of 2005, and be completed by the first quarter of 2006. Bombardier is in the process of delivering 32 previously ordered CRJ700 aircraft, SkyWest said.

United Airlines is flying the SkyWest CRJ700 aircraft in its United Express operations in cities such as Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Each aircraft has 66 seats, including six First Class seats, SkyWest said.

Bombardier said that following the deliveries, SkyWest will operate 177 of its CRJ aircraft, including 125 fifty-seat CRJ200 regional jets.

SkyWest said it expects United Express will operate 52 CRJ700 aircraft and 65 CRJ200 aircraft, plus 50 EMB120 Brasilia aircraft from Embraer by February 2006. SkyWest said the new CRJ aircraft will operate under an existing United Express agreement, and that it will be compensated for additional flights.

Bombardier, based in Montreal, is the world's No. 3 maker of civil aircraft.