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Saturday, July 09, 2011

Run(a)way Airlines

Getting flights to and from smaller cities has become harder and very expensive.
Airlines have dropped service to smaller cities and are focusing on the bigger hubs.
While second and third tier cities in China and India are racing to build airports, the smaller U.S. cities are struggling to retain airline service. Number of people does make a difference!

Air Service Cutbacks Hit Hardest Where Recession Did - NYTimes.com: "The airlines’ deep cutbacks in flights over the last three years have fallen unevenly across the country, largely sparing the nation’s biggest airports but hitting midsize airports the hardest.

In the last five years, a review of government statistics shows, air service most often dropped at midsize airports and cities where jobs disappeared or housing prices collapsed. Las Vegas, Phoenix and Detroit, for instance, all lost flights in the 12 months that ended in March.
...

“The public takes air service for granted, but with the mergers, there aren’t that many airlines anymore, and there are fewer hubs,” said Justin Meyer, the manager of air service development for the Kansas City Aviation Department. “Just because you have a runway doesn’t mean you deserve service.”

That means airports must compete more fiercely than ever for service, Mr. Meyer said, and must be willing to offer incentives to the airlines, including lower gate or landing fees.

Roger Cohen, who heads the Regional Airline Association, said airports should offer carriers a compelling reason to fly into their communities. “It’s like dating, where attitude is everything,” Mr. Cohen said. “You want to show you’re interested in the relationship.”

Two years ago, the Port of Portland, Ore., which operates Portland International Airport, joined with local businesses to commit $5 million to offset losses that Delta might have on its flights to Tokyo so it would keep flying that route.

The financial help through the winter of 2009 persuaded Delta not to cancel the flight, said David Zielke, the general manager for air service development. Such international connections bring in about $100 million a year in economic investments to Portland businesses, he said."

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