Lost Cities: Mapping U.S. Airports Losing Air Service

Airlines are in the middle of radical service cuts. Not just increasing prices, but reducing the amount of air service to large and small cities in the U.S. It is partly because of a weakening economy, partly because of higher oil prices, and partly because of the market simply being over-supplied with airlines.

Whatever the cause, the upshot is the same: Less service in future. We all know this, or have at least heard it, but it has taken my friend Rick Seaney at FareCompare to really make it visceral to me. Because Rick has published a post detailing all the cities seeing material decreases this year in air service, as much as 40 % or more in some large cities, as well as some smaller cities losing commercial air service altogether -- the newly "can't get there from here" places.

Here are the cities in map form (thanks Greg), and you can click for a larger version:

Comments

[raskey:]

I can remember years ago United Airlines showed pride in the fact they flew into a city or town in every state. Those days are long gone.

2008 May 14 11:53 AM

[LostFlier:]

Forgot Reading,PA for lost service. Still a great place for some company to come in, just don't run it down like Mesa Airlines did. That is why no one wanted to fly out of RDG.

2008 May 14 12:05 PM

[Chancer:]

How about combining new and old tech with a fleet of blimps to service the smaller airports where airlines don't want to go?

Power the blimps with hybrid (electric/gas engines). Sure, they are slower and carry fewer passengers, but the lower cost and fuel efficiency should be a real improvement. You could also re-charge the batteries by plugging at the airport during all that wait time.

New tech from old tech, a new industry, and the smaller airports can still be served.

2008 May 15 12:25 PM

[LostPension:]

Hello! They deregulated the airline industry in 1978. The flying public is getting EXACTLY what they demanded ....CHEAP! They sound like a bunch of chicks in an incubator when they book a flight! CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!
They got cheap, airlines cut staffing levels, cut pay, eliminated pensions. They're flying aircraft that should be in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum now. No modern industrialized nation on earth still flies MD-80s and DC-9s! Airlines can not afford to replace them.
Name one other industry that lost 35 BILLION dollars in 6 years like the airline industry did in the 6 years after 2001! You can't because no industry comes close to losses like that.
I know what you're going to say,Southwest has been profitable. That's true, but SW like other "low cost" carriers is a cherry picker. They only fly routes that high volume and therefore they can always count of full flights. What to get from Dallas to Billings Montana on SW, can't be done! You can get to Orlando from a lot of places on SW because it is a very high density market.
Bottom line, the flying public is getting exactly what they demanded and now they don't like it! So when the flying public needs to know what's wrong with the airline industry these days they need look no further than their bathroom mirror!

2008 May 20 09:31 AM