Long-term Debt (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Long-term Debt
Long-term debt	$ 1,815,391,000	$ 1,897,975,000
Less current maturities	(208,398,000)	(159,039,000)
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	1,606,993,000	1,738,936,000
Letters of credit and surety bonds outstanding with various banks and surety institutions	66,100,000
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
2012	208,398,000
2013	162,978,000
2014	168,984,000
2015	176,180,000
2016	181,622,000
Thereafter	917,229,000
Total	1,815,391,000	1,897,975,000
CRJ
Long-term Debt
Long-term debt	1,800,000,000
Effective interest rate (as a percent)	4.40%
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total	1,800,000,000
Notes payable to banks, due in semi-annual installments through 2012 to 2020
Long-term Debt
Interest rate, minimum (as a percent)	1.35%
Interest rate, maximum (as a percent)	3.81%
Long-term debt	364,741,000	418,109,000
Variable interest rate, basis	LIBOR
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total	364,741,000	418,109,000
Notes payable to a financing company, due in semi-annual installments through 2012 to 2021
Long-term Debt
Interest rate, minimum (as a percent)	0.70%
Interest rate, maximum (as a percent)	7.52%
Long-term debt	477,241,000	518,070,000
Variable interest rate, basis	LIBOR
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total	477,241,000	518,070,000
Notes payable to banks, due in semi-annual installments through 2021
Long-term Debt
Interest rate, minimum (as a percent)	6.06%
Interest rate, maximum (as a percent)	7.18%
Long-term debt	193,197,000	212,504,000
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total	193,197,000	212,504,000
Notes payable to a financing company, due in semi-annual installments through 2019
Long-term Debt
Interest rate, minimum (as a percent)	5.78%
Interest rate, maximum (as a percent)	6.23%
Long-term debt	53,803,000	61,087,000
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total	53,803,000	61,087,000
Notes payable to banks, due in monthly installments through 2025
Long-term Debt
Interest rate, minimum (as a percent)	3.15%
Interest rate, maximum (as a percent)	8.18%
Long-term debt	706,463,000	663,487,000
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total	706,463,000	663,487,000
Notes payable to banks, due in semi-annual installments through 2020
Long-term Debt
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.05%
Long-term debt	19,946,000	21,969,000
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total	19,946,000	21,969,000
Notes payable to banks, due in semi-annual installments through 2011
Long-term Debt
Interest rate, minimum (as a percent)	3.72%
Interest rate, maximum (as a percent)	3.86%
Long-term debt		360,000
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total		360,000
Notes payable to a financing company, due in semi-annual installments secured by flight simulator equipment
Long-term Debt
Long-term debt		2,389,000
Variable interest rate, basis	LIBOR
Aggregate amounts of principal maturities of long-term debt
Total		2,389,000
Line of credit | SkyWest Airlines
Long-term Debt
Interest rate (as a percent)	3.79%
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 25,000,000	$ 25,000,000