The series, which aired from 1979 to 1981, was set at the fictional Pacific International Airport and dealt with the lives of the pilots, airline staff and management team who worked there.

Skyways was mainly taped in a television studio where, in many interior-set scenes, Colour Separation Overlay created the illusion of a bustling airport with taxiing planes outside the window.

The show's regular cast members included Tony Bonner as airport manager Paul MacFarlane, later replaced by Gary Doolan (Gerard Kennedy).

When Skyways ended Fanelli was moved to Crawford police procedural Cop Shop, while Brian James' character George Tippett was transplanted to Holiday Island.

An early storyline featured a lesbian flight attendant (Judy Morris) unsuccessfully attempting to seduce a colleague (Deborah Coulls) who revealed she was heterosexual.