Communities Are Losing Air Service
Rally Together to Stop the Loss

It's really unfortunate that we've had to reduce service anywhere, most especially to some of the smaller communities. That's certainly a result of the issues that we faced with pilot staffing at our regional airlines. Robert Isom
Robert Isom, CEO American Airlines,Jan. 26, 2023
“This is a national issue. It’s affecting the whole domestic aviation industry but disproportionately affecting smaller regional carriers.”
- Pete Buttigieg, DOT SecretarySenate Commerce hearing, May 2022
“We, along with Delta, American and Southwest alone are planning to hire about 8,000 pilots this year, compared to historical supply in the 6,000 to 7,000 range. Pilots are and will remain a significant constraint on capacity.”
Scott Kirby, United CEO Q4 Earnings Call, Jan. 18, 2023
“There has been a looming pilot shortage for the last decade in the United States, and going through COVID it became an actual pilot shortage.”
Scott Kirby, CEO UnitedSenate hearing, December 2021
“We are down flying in the first half of the year on some of the regional carriers given some of the staffing challenges we’re facing, primarily because of pilot hiring.”
Ed Bastian, CEO DeltaJanuary 2022
“The real constraint is pilot hiring.”
Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines CEOApril 2022
“The access to pilots really becomes the governing factor for growth in the industry over the next few years.”
Robin Hayes, CEO JetBlue April 2022.
"I think this [the pilot shortage] is going to be one of the biggest constraints for the industry going forward.”
Ben Minicucci, Alaska Air Group CEOApril 2022
“It's definitely an emergency situation,"
Walt McNutt, ChairmanSidney-Richland airport authority in Eastern Montana
“The pilot shortage for the industry is real, and most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren’t enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years,”
Scott Kirby, CEO United AirlinesApril 2022
“There’s a huge pilot shortage….a lot of airplanes are parked right now in the desert southwest.” [Commenting on flight cuts this summer at the Eagle County Regional Airport,]
David Reid, Eagle County, CO Aviation Director May 2022
“Not to say that you lose the airport, you lose the town. But it is critical that … we find something that can assure people that, ‘It’s OK to live out here in rural Kansas because we still have great air service.’”
Eli Svaty, Seward County Development Corporation,May 2022
“Now that demand is back, there are no pilots to fly the planes.” “[The pilot shortage is] the big reason we’re seeing reduced flights.”
Aaron Buck, Airport DirectorYellowstone Regional Airport, WY.
“There is a significant pilot shortage in our industry and that resulted in unfortunately in Delta pulling out of our market completely.” Grand Junction Regional Airport, CO, March 2022.
Angela Padalecki, Airport Director, Grand Junction Regional Airport, CO, March 2022
“We can’t tolerate losing all airline service. That doesn’t help Quincy, and it absolutely doesn’t help our region.”
Mike Troup, MayorQuicy, IL, May 2022
“They're losing pilots at the top end faster than they can hire on the bottom end."
Toby Dougherty, Hays city manager, KS March 2022
"We are disappointed to confirm SHD is one of the affected airports. This announcement is a direct result of the ongoing severe pilot shortage in the aviation industry and not an indication of poor utilization of the service." Shenandoah.
Valley Regional Airport (SHD)Statement following SkyWest announcement to pull air service, March 2022.
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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 reductions/losses October 2022 vs. October 2019

  • All
  • Communities losing ALL air service.
  • Communities losing LESS than 25% air service.
  • Communities losing MORE than 25% air service.

Coalition Sends Letter to Congress

READ LETTER

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.

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Rally Together to Stop the Loss

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Air Service Loss Examples