Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) segment aircraft	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting
Operating segments number | segment			3
Operating revenues	$ 801,338	$ 788,417	$ 1,563,414	$ 1,548,815
Operating expense	717,201	718,485	1,417,468	1,444,807
Depreciation and amortization expense	69,887	64,659	137,688	130,350
Interest expense	18,287	18,081	36,012	36,546
Segment profit (loss)	66,335	52,548	110,849	68,798
Identifiable intangible assets, other than goodwill	9,374	11,623	9,374	11,623	$ 10,499
Total assets	4,996,885	4,815,266	4,996,885	4,815,266	$ 4,781,984
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	222,674	251,021	321,960	520,159
SkyWest Airlines
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	504,107	463,987	970,403	901,702
Operating expense	428,142	404,341	842,226	804,309
Depreciation and amortization expense	34,585	34,784	68,916	72,472
Interest expense	6,754	9,151	13,413	18,872
Total assets	2,160,421	2,389,519	2,160,421	2,389,519
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	7,927	7,473	21,885	23,565
Express Jet Airlines Inc
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	266,241	305,092	534,048	613,649
Operating expense	274,856	305,590	548,475	624,841
Depreciation and amortization expense	21,460	21,681	42,727	43,343
Interest expense	1,617	2,477	3,740	6,833
Identifiable intangible assets, other than goodwill	9,374	11,623	9,374	11,623
Total assets	1,418,365	1,428,819	1,418,365	1,428,819
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	2,002	6,052	7,050	13,150
SkyWest Leasing
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	30,990	19,338	58,963	33,464
Operating expense	14,203	8,554	26,767	15,657
Depreciation and amortization expense	13,842	8,194	26,045	14,535
Interest expense	9,916	6,453	18,859	10,841
Total assets	1,418,099	996,928	1,418,099	996,928
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	212,745	237,496	$ 293,025	483,444
SkyWest Leasing | CRJ 200
Segment Reporting
Number of aircraft under contract | aircraft			2
Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	65,850	51,851	$ 109,934	67,462
Segment [Member] | SkyWest Airlines
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	69,211	50,495	114,764	78,521
Segment [Member] | Express Jet Airlines Inc
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	(10,232)	(2,975)	(18,167)	(18,025)
Segment [Member] | SkyWest Leasing
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	$ 6,871	$ 4,331	$ 13,337	$ 6,966