According to the company Web site, SkyWest began a partnership with Delta in 1987 as one of its connection carriers operating primarily out of Delta's Salt Lake City hub.

Together, Delta and SkyWest carry about 70 percent of the passengers using the Salt Lake airport.

For years, the airlines have worked harmoniously in their business relationship, but they have experienced some turbulence in the recent past.

Last year, SkyWest and Delta sued each other over disputes about contract reimbursements relating to the two carriers' flight agreements.

SkyWest sued Delta in February 2008, claiming that Delta owed it $25 million after failing to reimburse it for one week's worth of unanticipated passenger expenses. Delta responded by suing SkyWest in March 2008, contending that Atlantic Southeast and SkyWest breached their contract agreements with Delta by charging Delta for the unanticipated passenger expenses.

Snow said those legal disputes are not tied to Thursday's announcements.

"SkyWest remains a strong Delta partner across the U.S.," she said in an e-mail to the Deseret News. "We will maintain our Delta Connection Salt Lake City flying, even experiencing some growth in the summer schedules."

She noted that SkyWest will operate Delta's recently announced new service from Salt Lake City to Bismarck, N.D.; Des Moines, Iowa; El Paso, Texas; Fargo, N.D.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Nashville, Tenn., and Sioux Falls, S.D.

E-MAIL: jlee@desnews.com