Skywest books $5.8m first-half profit

Skywest Airlines says it is well-placed to capture more fly-in, fly-out contracts in Western Australia as it reported a profit turnaround to $S7 million ($A5.8 million).

The Singapore-headquartered airline said the profit result for the six months to the end of December 2009 compared to a net loss of $S2.8 million.

The result was on the back of a 10 per cent increase in revenue to $S107 million.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and aircraft rentals more than doubled to $S28.8 million.

"The Group continues to recognise the growth potential for Western Australia, particularly in light of recent announcements of a significant number of significant resource developments," chairman Robert Chatfield said.

"To this end, the Airline has continued to engage, with demonstrable success, an additional strategy of focusing services on the resources sector, targeting as clients the major resource producers who fly their workers on a regular scheduled basis into and out of the mining areas. These scheduled fly-in fly-out contracts provide strong baseline recurring revenues.

"The Airline is well placed to capture more business in this area and at this time, it is tendering for various charter contracts and has deployed an additional aircraft, which may be utilized in due course for the purpose of operating additional charter services."