Commercial aviation : factors affecting efforts to improve air service at small community airports

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  United States. General Accounting Office
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Aeronautics, Commercial Airports Civil Aviation Finance Financing Quality Of Service
• Publication/ Report Number:
  GAO-03-330
• Resource Type:
  Policy Statement
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. General Accounting Office
• Abstract:
  The nation’s small communities face a range of fundamental economic
  
  challenges in obtaining and retaining the commercial airline service they
  
  desire or making their existing service more attractive to potential
  
  passengers. The smallest of these communities, usually served by nonhub
  
  airports, typically lack the population base and level of economic activity
  
  that would generate sufficient passenger demand to make them profitable
  
  to air carriers. Larger communities in this group, often served by small hub
  
  airports, may have enough people to support some level of air service, but not enough to attract additional carriers to compete at that community
  
  airport, thereby providing greater choice and possibly lower fares.
  
  Further, if a small community is located within driving distance of a larger
  
  airport, this already-limited demand is often diluted because passengers
  
  may drive to the larger airport for better service or cheaper fares. These
  
  challenges are exacerbated by an airline industry in economic turmoil.
  
  Wall Street analysts have estimated projected industry losses approaching
  
  $8 billion in 2002. Some carriers have taken significant steps to cut costs
  
  and/or minimize losses by reducing service. At some small communities,
  
  this can mean eliminating service altogether.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:eb74dd8f60e48d3a8e6599a9db47a0edef41cd09afe1fb3bf418d6c075d0b9fa
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/18689/dot_18689_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.47 MB ]