Communities Are Losing Air Service
Rally Together to Stop the Loss
aren’t productive right now, that aren’t flying”
FACT: 75% of US airports (324 airports) have less air service today than before the pandemic, despite rising passenger demand. Airports have lost an average of 31% of their flights, a figure that has worsened and will worsen without action. There are 12% fewer airline departures across all airports (Jan 2023 vs Jan 2020).
Rally for Air Service is a coalition formed to communicate the harms of a growing pilot shortage and to urge solutions. We represent a wide range of aviation stakeholders with a shared interest in addressing the shortage and preserving and rebuilding air service in smaller communities.
Our Mission is to educate the public about air service loss and advance solutions that preserve and enhance aviation safety, allow greater and more equitable access to pilot careers, and preserve and restore air service in the United States
Airports With Service Loss/Reductions
Scroll over cities to see percentage of air service lost since 2019
- All
- Communities losing ALL air service.
- Communities losing LESS than 25% air service.
- Communities losing MORE than 25% air service.
A crisis level shortage of pilots in the United States has forced airlines to make sweeping schedule cuts, mostly in smaller communities. With too few pilots to serve all of today’s routes, passengers have far fewer options today vs. several years ago. Comparing 2023 with 2020, more than 320 airports have lost air service, more than 150 airports have lost more than a quarter of their service.
AA is exiting three more regional-airline-flown markets, The pilot shortage continues to hurt cities. https://thepointsguy.com/news/american-airlines-cuts-international-cities/
“In response to the regional pilot shortage affecting the airline industry”… https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-ending-service-to-three-cities-leaves-one-with-no-flights-at-all/
Del Rio, Texas will be the latest city to lose all air service due to the pilot shortage. https://thepointsguy.com/news/american-cuts-us-cities/
We need more student pilots! #pilotshortage
Fewer flights from hubs is a result of fewer pilots available. Not good for smaller communities. #pilotshortage https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2022/12/19/honey-i-shrunk-the-hubs-this-christmas-big-airline-hubs-all-have-fewer-departures/?sh=1afdf0a82f57
There are solutions to the pilot shortage already on the table. https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3778411-an-immediate-fix-to-the-pilot-shortage-is-being-ignored/
Wife and husband pilots! Flying for @SkyWestAirlines https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRV977gd/
60 airports have lost more than half of their flights since 2019, and 14 no longer have any commercial service at all. “That creates a big problem for communities to maintain connectivity,” said Edward Russell at Airline Weekly.https://www.marketplace.org/2022/11/21/pilot-shortage-higher-airfares-service-cuts-smaller-regional-airports/
“If policymakers fail to do their job, and do not give the pilot shortage the urgent attention it warrants, small community air service will be a thing of the past" - RAA CEO Faye Malarkey Black https://www.flightglobal.com/strategy/small-community-air-service-will-be-a-thing-of-the-past-raa-warns-policymakers/151285.article
RAA's annual report notes: "Today more than 500 aircraft are parked without pilots to fly them. Communities are fighting to keep or rebuild air service." https://www.raa.org/raa-publishes-its-2022-annual-report/
Higher wages hasn't stopped the pilot shortage in the US https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/why-us-airline-pilot-wages-are-outpacing-global-rises-2022-12-05/
The latest community experiencing the pain of less air service. #pilotshortage https://www.wboc.com/news/salisbury-regional-airport-impacted-by-nationwide-pilot-shortage/article_d3fd85da-6f42-11ed-b0b1-2f014f284dc5.html
"Pilot shortage grounds planes" - too many headlines like this across the US. #pilotshortage https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/pilots-shortage-grounds-planes-dampens-business-opportunities/PQ2YSYOG6FFJJPBVCUG3CGUVLE/
Wow. It's never been a better time to be a pilot.
The problem of air service declines caused by the pilot shortage is getting worse. #pilotshortage https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/pilot-shortage-causing-flight-service-decline-at-us-airports.html
Too few pilots and too little action to address it. #pilotshortage https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/09/13/why-the-us-is-running-out-of-pilots.html
"We are short pilots to fly all of our aircraft" - CEO Bob Jordan on @CNBC today
Fast Company: "The pilot ranks are also shrinking fast: At least 5,773 baby boomer pilots retire each year because they hit the mandatory retirement age of 65 required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)." #pilotshortage https://www.fastcompany.com/90800310/pilot-shortage-airlines-diverse-hiring-benefits
Thank you to Dayton for joining the RFAS coalition.“We are committed to finding solutions for this problem to ensure DAY remains a viable option for the region’s business community,” said Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/city-chamber-join-coalition-worried-about-shortage-of-pilots/7WH3JFSGHRDV7PRAWVO4N7ND64/
