Air Service to Small and Rural Communities : Analysis and Improvement Options

The United States has roughly 19,700 airports that provide critical services to the aviation system and local communities across the country. Commercial aviation transports roughly 650 million passengers annually and moves billions in revenue ton-miles of freight safely and securely across the country. Airports and air carriers connect large and small communities, create jobs and contribute significant benefits to the local and national economy. Airports are not only gateways to the aviation system for millions of passengers who fly commercially, they are important staging points for emergency services, law enforcement, and disaster relief also transporting cargo, and providing reliever runways if necessary. In small and rural communities, airports are life lines that connect their residents to the national and international aviation systems. This book provides an analysis and improvement options for air services in small and rural communities.