WestAir used three call signs: first was "Wescom", which lasted until the operation briefly expanded to the eastern US, where Air Wisconsin used the call sign "Wisconsin" and was frequently confused with "Wescom". This forced a change to "Shasta", which was frequently confused with "Cessna", so "Sundance" became the call sign until WestAir went out of business. The airline changed its IATA code from VB to OE in 1982-83 when VB became Pacific Express, a new startup all-jet airline. (The SDU ICAO code was retained). WestAir had hoped to acquire several regional jets, but none was chosen until 1987 when it placed an order for several BAe 146-200s to be delivered starting in 1988. North Pacific Airlines, another air carrier controlled by WestAir Holding that was established in 1987 and operating as United Express, was merged into WestAir in 1991.
WestAir became part of the Mesa Air Group in May 1992. Shortly afterwards, WestAir's handful of BAe 146s were disposed of in an attempt to dig the airline out of an economic hole. But United Airlines cancelled its United Express contract with the carrier, and in 1998 SkyWest Airlines replaced WestAir as United's west coast regional United Express carrier.
At the time of its demise, WestAir flew Brasilias and Jetstream J31s mainly from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) and from Seattle and Portland.[5] Many of the Jetstreams ended up stored in Kingman, Arizona, where most remain today. The Brasilias went to Utah-based SkyWest, which flew most of them for many years before announcing that it would retire all its Brasilias in 2015.
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