Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) segment aircraft	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting
Number of operating segments | segment	3
Operating revenues	$ 765,415	$ 762,075
Operating expense	689,120	700,266
Depreciation and amortization expense	70,114	67,801
Interest expense	24,549	17,725
Segment profit (loss)	52,406	44,514
Identifiable intangible assets, other than goodwill	7,686	9,936	$ 8,249
Total assets	5,128,356	4,710,254	$ 5,007,966
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	223,099	98,401
Segments
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	51,746	44,084
SkyWest Airlines
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	482,954	466,296
Operating expense	435,368	414,084
Depreciation and amortization expense	31,817	34,331
Interest expense	5,799	6,659
Total assets	2,224,407	2,213,958
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	33,431	13,073
SkyWest Airlines | Segments
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	41,787	45,553
ExpressJet Airlines Inc
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	228,658	267,807
Operating expense	229,493	273,619
Depreciation and amortization expense	14,525	21,267
Interest expense	1,114	2,123
Identifiable intangible assets, other than goodwill	7,686	9,936
Total assets	565,839	1,277,361
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	5,654	5,048
ExpressJet Airlines Inc | Segments
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	(1,949)	(7,935)
SkyWest Leasing
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	53,803	27,972
Operating expense	24,259	12,563
Depreciation and amortization expense	23,772	12,203
Interest expense	17,636	8,943
Total assets	2,338,110	1,218,935
Capital expenditures (including non-cash)	$ 184,014	80,280
SkyWest Leasing | CRJ 200
Segment Reporting
Number of aircraft under contract | aircraft	4
SkyWest Leasing | Segments
Segment Reporting
Segment profit (loss)	$ 11,908	$ 6,466