Tech & Biz

Airlines’ Cuts Making Cities No-Fly Zones

by Rob Walker | May 21, 2008 at 11:39 am

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New Haven Conn., Wilmington, Del., Boulder City, Nevada...these are all cities that you might have to drive to rather than flying, after budget cuts forced the cancellation of flights to those cities and more.

Recent heavy slashing of the airline industries means that even new airports and cities that have poured millions into their air travel infrastructure are left thumbing a ride.

Almost 30 cities across the US have seen scheduled service disappear, according to a new study by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Several years and $61.4 million later, the city opened its concrete welcome mat, a new 7,000 foot runway, last November — two months after the airport lost scheduled air service altogether.
Despite its costly investment, a dogged marketing effort by local officials and even help from Congress, the airport has had no luck attracting a new carrier, as the industry struggles under soaring fuel prices.

“Could we pick a worse time to go out and get commercial service? Probably not,” said Carolyn Motz, director of the Hagerstown Regional Airport, which had 10 daily flights a decade ago.