SkyWest suing Delta over expense reimbursements

Delta Air Lines Inc., the third-largest U.S. carrier, owes regional airline operator SkyWest Inc. $25 million after failing to reimburse it for one week's worth of unanticipated passenger expenses, SkyWest said.

In a lawsuit filed in state court in Atlanta, SkyWest said Delta is disputing whether it owes the smaller carrier for its December 2007 outlay for passengers who lost luggage, had flights canceled or encountered other difficulties covered by its "irregular operations" clause of its contract, SkyWest said Monday in a statement.

"We simply have a disagreement over the IROP contract language," SkyWest vice president Bradford Rich said in the statement. The carriers will continue doing business, he said.

SkyWest, based in St. George, operates some short-distance connecting flights for Atlanta-based Delta.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black said in a phone interview the company wouldn't comment on the SkyWest lawsuit.