Special Items (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Special Items

Summary of the components of special items

The following table summarizes the components of the Company's special items, for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2021		2020		2019
Special items:
CRJ900 Impairment Charge 1	$	84,592	$	—	$	—
Parts Credit 2		—		—		18,508
Employee severance 3		—		—		3,361
Total special items	$	84,592	$	—	$	21,869

(1) Consists of the impairment charges to write-down CRJ900 aircraft in 2021 to their estimated fair value as discussed above.

(2) The Company terminated an agreement with an aircraft manufacturer that obligated the Company to future aircraft lease return conditions on aircraft the Company leased. In conjunction with the terminated agreement, the aircraft manufacturer released the Company from the future aircraft lease return obligations and the Company agreed to

terminate aircraft part credits previously issued by the manufacturer to the Company. As a result of the terminated agreement, the Company recorded a non-cash expense of $18.5 million (pre-tax) during 2019 to write-off the terminated aircraft part credits, which was reflected as a special items operating expense in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income. These special items are reflected in the SkyWest Airlines operating expenses under Note 3, “Segment Reporting.”

(3) During 2019, the Company incurred $3.4 million of employee severance related costs associated with the sale of ExpressJet that are also reflected in special items. These special items are reflected in the ExpressJet operating expenses under Note 3, “Segment Reporting.”