(9) Retirement Plans and Employee Stock Purchase Plans

SkyWest Retirement Plan

The Company sponsors the SkyWest, Inc. Employees' Retirement Plan (the "SkyWest Plan"). Employees who have completed 90 days of service and are at least 18 years of age are eligible for participation in the SkyWest Plan. Employees may elect to make contributions to the SkyWest Plan. The Company matches 100% of such contributions up to 2%, 4% or 6% of the individual participant's compensation, based upon length of service. Additionally, a discretionary contribution may be made by the Company. The Company's combined contributions to the SkyWest Plan were $18.3 million, $16.0 million and $14.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

ExpressJet and Atlantic Southeast Retirement Plan

ExpressJet (formerly Atlantic Southeast) sponsors the Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. Investment Savings Plan (the "Atlantic Southeast Plan"). Employees who have completed 90 days of service and are 18 years of age are eligible for participation in the Atlantic Southeast Plan. Employees may elect to make contributions to the Atlantic Southeast Plan; however, ExpressJet limits the amount of company match at 6% of each participant's total compensation, except for those with ten or more years of service whose company match is limited to 8% of total compensation. Additionally, ExpressJet matches the individual participant's contributions from 20% to 75%, depending on the length of the participant's service. Additionally, participants are 100% vested in their elective deferrals and rollover amounts and from 10% to 100% vested in company matching contributions based on length of service.

Effective December 31, 2002, ExpressJet Delaware adopted the ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan (the "ExpressJet Retirement Plan"). Substantially all of ExpressJet Delaware's domestic employees were covered by this plan at the time of the ExpressJet Combination. Effective January 1, 2009, the ExpressJet Retirement Plan was amended such that certain matching payment amounts have been reduced or eliminated depending on the terms of the collective bargaining unit or work group, as applicable.

ExpressJet's contribution to the Atlantic Southeast and the ExpressJet Retirement Plans was $26.7 million, $26.4 million and $25.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

ExpressJet Delaware also provided medical bridge coverage for employees between the ages of 60 to 65, with at least ten years of service who have retired from the Company. In December 2007, the Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act (H.R. 4343) was enacted. This law increased the mandatory retirement age of commercial pilots from 60 to 65. As a result of this legislation, ExpressJet is no longer required to provide medical bridge coverage to its pilots between the ages of 60 to 65. In 2008, ExpressJet Delaware's practice of providing medical bridge coverage for non-pilot employees was frozen, and does not permit non-pilot employees retiring on or after January 1, 2009 to participate in such coverage.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

In May 2009, the Company's Board of Directors approved the SkyWest, Inc. 2009 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "2009 Stock Purchase Plan"). All employees who have completed 90 days of employment with the Company or one of its subsidiaries are eligible to participate in the 2009 Stock Purchase Plan, except employees who own five percent or more of the Company's common stock. The 2009 Stock Purchase Plan enables employees to purchase shares of the Company's common stock at a five percent discount, through payroll deductions. Employees can contribute up to 15% of their base pay, not to exceed $21,250 each calendar year, for the purchase of shares. Shares are purchased semi-annually at a five percent discount based on the end of the period price. Employees can terminate their participation in the 2009 Stock Purchase Plan at any time upon written notice.

The following table summarizes purchases made under the 2009 Employee Stock Purchase Plans during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011:

	Year Ended December 31,

	2013		2012		2011
Number of shares purchased		299,786		487,451		300,177
Average price of shares purchased	$	12.33	$	8.35	$	14.56

The 2009 Stock Purchase Plan is a non-compensatory plan under the accounting guidance. Therefore, no compensation expense was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.