Essential Air Service Explained

See also: Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011. Essential Air Service (EAS) is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which had been served by certificated airlines prior to deregulation in 1978, maintain commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these communities that otherwise would not be profitable.^[1] The program is codified at .

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) subsidizes airlines to serve communities across the country that otherwise would not receive scheduled air service. As of June 1, 2015, 159 communities in the US received EAS subsidies, of which 44 were in Alaska, two in Hawaii, and one in Puerto Rico.^[2] The decision as to what degree of subsidized service a community requires is made based on identifying a specific hub for the community and from there determining the number of trips, seats, and type of aircraft that are necessary to serve that hub.

These increases occurred despite numerous Congressional measures to contain program spending. The George W. Bush Administration sought to reduce the cost of the program to $50 million by stricter eligibility criteria and requiring the local governments of the areas served to contribute to the cost. The Heritage Foundation argued in 2014 that rural airports should receive no federal subsidies through the Essential Air Service program; rather, state and local governments that value the air services should support them.^[3] The Congressional Research Service has reported in 2018 that since the early 2000s federal subsidies for the EAS have nearly tripled to almost $300 million per year. By May 2023, the subsidies amounted to $394.2 million per year.^[4]

Community eligibility criteria

Pursuant to the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2000, no community within the 48 contiguous states may receive a subsidy greater than $200 per passenger unless the community is more than 210miles from the nearest large or medium hub airport. Pursuant to the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, to be eligible for the program, a community in the contiguous 48 states must either maintain an average of 10 or more enplanements per service day or be located more than from the nearest large or medium hub airport. The criteria for 10 or more enplanements can be waived by the Secretary of Transportation, on an annual basis, if a community can demonstrate that it is due to a temporary decline.^[5]

The Department of Transportation, pursuant to the Consolidated and Further Appropriations Act of 2015, is required to negotiate a local cost share with communities located less than 40miles from a small hub airport.

Controversy

Critics question the economic and environmental efficiency of the service.^[6] According to a 2006 New York Times article on the program, the subsidy per passenger, averaged across the entire program excluding Alaska, is approximately $74, and much higher on some particularly poorly patronized flights^[7] where subsidies are as high as $801 per passenger.^[8]

The program is politically popular in the cities receiving the subsidized flights, many of which use an airport with scheduled service as a selling point to attract industry to their regions. Several subsidized airports are within an hour's drive from an unsubsidized airport.^[6]

Report tables

The following tables list all Essential Air Service communities under the various funding programs. This is based on the most recent reports issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT),^[9] ^[10] ^[11] and updated to reflect changes based on DOT orders. Docket and order numbers link to their respective pages on the docket management site, which typically includes the original files in PDF and other formats. The hubs are designated using the three-letter IATA airport code assigned by the International Air Transport Association.^[12]

Alternate Essential Air Service

The Alternate Essential Air Service program grants funds directly to the municipality or airport authority instead of the air carrier. This allows the community to recruit air service that would not otherwise meet EAS guidelines, such as more frequent service with smaller aircraft, less-than-daily service, flights to differing destinations at different times of the year or week, on-demand air taxi service, scheduled or on-demand ground surface transportation, regionalized air service, or even purchasing an aircraft. This alternative program has most often occurred as a public charter arrangement as prescribed by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 380. The first airport to enter this program was Manistee County Blacker Airport in 2012.^[13]

State	Community	Airport	Destinations	Air carrier	Aircraft / maximum seats	Annual grant	Docket	Order
AL	Muscle Shoals	Northwest Alabama Regional Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$2,992,475 $3,082,249 $1,851,918	2000-7856	2022-1-21
AZ	Page	Page Municipal Airport	Phoenix (PHX)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$4,398,924	1997-2694	2022-02-22
CA	Crescent City	Del Norte County Airport	Los Angeles -Hawthorne (HHR)----Oakland (OAK)	Advanced Air	Dornier 328JET / 30	$4,161,287 $4,577,415 $5,035,157 $5,538,673	1997-2649	2024-05-25
GA	Macon	Middle Georgia Regional Airport	Baltimore/Washington (BWI)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,051,444	2007-28671	2023-9-4
MS	Greenville	Greenville Mid-Delta Airport	Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)----Nashville (BNA)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$2,933,615 $3,006,956 $3,082,130 $3,159,183	2008-0209	2021-07-23
MS	Tupelo	Tupelo Regional Airport	Nashville (BNA)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$4,004,254	2009-0305	2022-03-15
NY	Ogdensburg	Ogdensburg International Airport	Philadelphia (PHL)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$11,218,457	1997-2842	2022-05-04
NY	Plattsburgh	Plattsburgh International Airport	Philadelphia (PHL)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$9,526,718	2003-14783	2022-05-03
PA	Altoona	Altoona–Blair County Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Regional Jet / 30	$6,492,990 $6,817,640 $7,158,522 $7,516,448	2002-11446	2024-07-03
UT	Moab	Canyonlands Regional Airport	Phoenix (PHX)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$6,656,475 $4,615,156	1997-2827	2023-10-1
UT	Vernal	Vernal Regional Airport	Phoenix (PHX)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$7,190,463 $4,985,388	1997-2706	2023-10-2
WV	Beckley	Raleigh County Memorial Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$2,827,968	1997-2761	2021-09-07
WV	Parkersburg, WV / Marietta, OH	Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$2,134,573	2005-20734	2021-09-07

Community Flexibility Pilot Program

Under the Community Flexibility Pilot Program, established in 2003, up to ten communities can receive a grant equal to two years' worth of subsidy in exchange for forgoing their EAS service for ten years.^[14] ^[15] These grants must be used to fund projects that will improve the airport for general aviation. As of 2020, only one community has ever taken advantage of the program:

Subsidized EAS communities

Areas excluding Alaska

State	Community	Airport	Destinations	Air carrier	Aircraft / maximum seats	Annual subsidy	Docket	Order
AZ	Prescott	Ernest A. Love Field	Denver (DEN)----Los Angeles (LAX)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$3,209,101	1996-1899	2020-07-02
AZ	Show Low	Show Low Regional Airport	Phoenix (PHX)	Southern Airways Express	Pilatus PC-12 / 9	$2,042,192	1998-4409	2024-05-22
AR	El Dorado / Camden	South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field	Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)----Memphis (MEM)	Southern Airways Express		$3,455,216 $3,541,596	1997-2935	2023-01-10
AR	Harrison	Boone County Airport	Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)----Memphis (MEM)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$3,789,614 $3,884,355 $3,981,464 $4,081,000	1997-2935	2023-01-10
AR	Hot Springs	Memorial Field Airport	Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)----Memphis (MEM)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$2,936,106 $3,009,509 $3,084,747 $3,161,866	1997-2935	2023-01-10
AR	Jonesboro	Jonesboro Municipal Airport	Nashville (BNA)----St. Louis (STL)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$2,217,130 $2,283,644 (year 2) $2,352,153 $2,422,718 (year 4)	1997-2935	2021-12-21
CA	El Centro	Imperial County Airport	Los Angeles (LAX)----Phoenix (PHX)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$2,920,934 $2,993,957 $3,068,806 $3,145,526	2008-0299	2022-02-19
CA	Merced	Merced Regional Airport	Las Vegas (LAS)----Los Angeles-Hawthorne (HHR)	Advanced Air	Pilatus PC-12 / 9	$3,552,016 $3,658,576 $3,768,333 $3,881,383	1998-3521	2021-09-13
CO	Alamosa	San Luis Valley Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Dornier 328JET / 30 or Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$5,679,884 $6,077,476	1997-2960	2024-06-07
CO	Cortez	Cortez Municipal Airport	Denver (DEN)----Phoenix (PHX)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Metroliner 23 / 9	$6,410,791 $6,603,115	1998-3508	2022-05-08
CO	Pueblo	Pueblo Memorial Airport	Denver (DEN)	Southern Airways Express	Beechcraft King Air 200 / 9	$2,992,087 $3,066,890	1999-6589	2022-10-14
HI	Hana	Hana Airport	Kahului (OGG)	Southern Airways Express d.b.a. Mokulele Airlines	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$956,792 $995,064 $1,034,866 $1,076,261	1999-6502	2024-01-14
HI	Kamuela	Waimea-Kohala Airport	Kahului (OGG)	Southern Airways Express d.b.a. Mokulele Airlines	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$790,715 $810,482 $830,744 $851,513	1997-2833	2021-05-11
HI	Kalaupapa	Kalaupapa Airport	Honolulu (HNL)----Molokai (MKK)	Southern Airways Express d.b.a. Mokulele Airlines	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$1,482,660 $1,519,726 $1,557,719 $1,596,662	2000-6773	2021-04-16
IA	Burlington	Southeast Iowa Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)----St. Louis (STL)	Southern Airways Express		$3,466,997 $3,553,651	2001-8731	2022-12-14
IA	Fort Dodge	Fort Dodge Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$6,471,432 $6,924,432 $7,409,142	2001-10682	2024-03-06
IA	Mason City	Mason City Municipal Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$6,537,921 $6,995,575 $7,485,266	2001-10684	2024-03-06
IA	Sioux City	Sioux Gateway Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$5,358,880 $5,734,001 $6,135,381	2011-0131	2023-12-20
IA	Waterloo	Waterloo Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	American Airlines Group (as American Eagle)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$7,464,242	2011-0132	2024-02-18
IL	Decatur	Decatur Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$3,572,847	2006-23929	2024-07-12
IL	Marion / Herrin	Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,595,516 $5,819,337 $6,052,110	2000-7881	2023-04-08
IL	Quincy, IL / Hannibal, MO	Quincy Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)----St. Louis (STL)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$4,085,604 $4,187,744 $4,292,438 $4,399,749	2002-14492	2022-10-15
KS	Dodge City	Dodge City Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$6,880,125 $7,361,734 $7,877,055	1998-3502	2024-05-04
KS	Garden City	Garden City Regional Airport	Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)	American Airlines Group (as American Eagle)	Bombardier CRJ700 / 65	$5,897,640	1998-3503	2024-07-09
KS	Hays	Hays Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)----Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$6,022,964 $6,444,571 $6,895,691	1998-3497	2024-05-01
KS	Liberal, KS / Guymon, OK	Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$6,524,077 $6,980,762 $7,469,415	1998-3498	2024-05-04
KS	Salina	Salina Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$5,958,376 $6,375,463 $6,821,745	2002-11376	2023-12-18
KY	Owensboro	Owensboro–Daviess County Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,607,114 $5,831,399 $6,064,655	2000-7855	2023-05-30
KY	Paducah	Barkley Regional Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,554,654 $5,943,479 $6,359,523	2009-0299	2022-08-21
ME	Augusta / Waterville	Augusta State Airport	Boston (BOS)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$3,021,655 $3,263,388 $3,524,459 $3,806,416	1997-2784	2022-09-19
ME	Bar Harbor	Hancock County–Bar Harbor Airport	Boston (BOS)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C / 9 or Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$3,396,988 $3,498,898 $3,603,865 $3,711,981	2011-0185	2020-09-22
ME	Presque Isle	Presque Isle International Airport	Boston (BOS)	JetBlue	Embraer 190 / 100	$10,412,703 $11,235,581	2000-8012	2024-06-03
ME	Rockland	Knox County Regional Airport	Boston (BOS)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$3,303,476 $3,567,755 $3,853,175 $4,161,429	1997-2784	2022-09-19
MI	Alpena	Alpena County Regional Airport	Detroit (DTW)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$6,750,234 $7,222,751 $7,728,343	2009-0300	2024-5-14
MI	Escanaba	Delta County Airport	Detroit (DTW)----Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$6,899,725 $7,244,711	2003-15128	2023-11-4
MI	Hancock / Houghton	Houghton County Memorial Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$6,507,497	2009-0302	2023-01-08
MI	Iron Mountain / Kingsford	Ford Airport	Detroit (DTW)----Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$7,068,428 $7,563,218	1999-5175	2023-12-17
MI	Ironwood, MI / Ashland, WI	Gogebic–Iron County Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)----Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Dornier 328JET / 30 or Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$7,204,867 $7,709,208 $7,709,208 $7,709,208	1996-1266	2023-06-18
MI	Manistee / Ludington	Manistee County Blacker Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$4,250,318 $4,547,840	1996-1711	2022-06-18
MI	Muskegon	Muskegon County Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$3,918,899 $4,016,872 $4,117,293 $4,220,226	2009-0301	2022-08-25
MI	Pellston	Pellston Regional Airport	Detroit (DTW)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$2,313,625 (Seasonal)	2011-0133	2021-11-10
MI	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County International Airport	Detroit (DTW)----Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$7,181,640 $7,684,354	2009-0303	2023-12-17
MN	Bemidji	Bemidji Regional Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$1,863,375	2011-0134	2022-01-20
MN	Brainerd	Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$5,676,069 $6,073,394	2011-0135	2023-12-17
MN	Chisholm / Hibbing	Range Regional Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$6,992,582 $7,482,063 $8,005,808	2003-15796	2024-05-13
MN	International Falls	Falls International Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$6,112,190 $6,540,044	2009-0304	2023-12-17
MN	Thief River Falls	Thief River Falls Regional Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Dornier 328JET / 30 or Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$5,801,556 $5,975,603 $6,154,871 $6,339,517 $6,529,702	2001-10642	2022-02-21
MO	Cape Girardeau / Sikeston	Cape Girardeau Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,485,832 $5,869,841 $6,280,730	1996-1559	2024-07-17
MO	Fort Leonard Wood	Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)----Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$4,449,693 $4,761,172 $5,094,454	1996-1167	2024-07-17
MO	Joplin	Joplin Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$5,459,372 $5,841,528 $6,250,434	2006-23932	2024-03-11
MO	Kirksville	Kirksville Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,609,670 $5,834,057 $6,067,419	1997-2515	2023-04-08
MS	Hattiesburg / Laurel	Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport	Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$5,987,253 $6,406,361 $6,854,806	2001-10685	2024-03-03
MS	Meridian	Meridian Regional Airport	Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$5,275,337 $5,644,610 $6,039,733	2008-0112	2024-03-03
MT	Butte	Bert Mooney Airport	Denver (DEN) Salt Lake City (SLC)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection and United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$997,186	2011-0136	2021-07-22
MT	Glasgow	Glasgow Valley County Airport	Billings (BIL)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C / 9 or Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$2,719,975 $2,855,974 $2,998,773 $3,148,711	1997-2605	2023-8-13
MT	Glendive	Dawson Community Airport	Billings (BIL)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C / 9 or Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$2,874,243 $3,017,955 $3,168,853 $3,327,295	1997-2605	2023-8-13
MT	Havre	Havre City–County Airport	Billings (BIL)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C / 9 or Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$2,849,018 $2,991,468 $3,141,042 $3,298,094	1997-2605	2023-8-13
MT	Sidney	Sidney–Richland Municipal Airport	Billings (BIL)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C / 9 or Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$6,002,320 $6,302,436 $6,617,558 $6,948,436	1997-2605	2023-8-13
MT	West Yellowstone	Yellowstone Airport	Denver (DEN) - Seasonal----Salt Lake City (SLC) - Seasonal	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection and United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50 Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$3,101,601 $3,318,713 $3,551,023	2003-14626	2024-02-19
MT	Wolf Point	L. M. Clayton Airport	Billings (BIL)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C / 9 or Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$2,902,953 $3,048,100 $3,200,505 $3,360,530	1997-2605	2023-8-13
ND	Devils Lake	Devils Lake Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$7,749,051 $8,291,485 $8,871,889	1997-2785	2024-07-02
ND	Dickinson	Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	United Airlines Holdings (as United Express)	Embraer ERJ-145 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$3,433,048	1995-697	2022-07-09
ND	Jamestown	Jamestown Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$7,443,767 $7,964,830 $8,522,369	1997-2785	2024-07-02
NE	Alliance	Alliance Municipal Airport	Denver (DEN)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Metroliner 23 / 9	$3,391,322 (year 1) $3,560,888 (year 2)	2000-8322	2023-03-12
NE	Chadron	Chadron Municipal Airport	Denver (DEN)	Southern Airways Express	Pilatus PC-12 / 8 or Beechcraft King Air 200 / 9	$3,559,096 (year 1) $3,648,073 (year 2)	2000-8322	2023-03-11
NE	Grand Island	Central Nebraska Regional Airport	Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)	American Airlines Group (as American Eagle)	Bombardier CRJ700 / 65	$4,999,500	2002-13983	2023-03-13
NE	Kearney	Kearney Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Dornier 328JET / 30 or Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$7,475,114 (year 1) $7,923,621 (year 2)	1996-1715	2022-08-17
NE	McCook	McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Metroliner 23 / 9	$3,567,084 $3,816,780 $4,083,955 $4,369,831	1997-3005	2024-06-06
NE	North Platte	North Platte Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$5,119,465 $5,477,828 $5,861,276	1999-5173	2023-12-18
NE	Scottsbluff	Western Nebraska Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$4,732,229 $5,063,485 $5,417,929	2003-14535	2023-12-18
NH	Lebanon, NH / White River Junction, VT	Lebanon Municipal Airport	Boston (BOS)----White Plains (HPN)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$5,226,722 $5,644,860 $6,096,449 $6,584,164	2003-14822	2022-11-31
NM	Carlsbad	Cavern City Air Terminal	Albuquerque (ABQ)----Phoenix (PHX)	Advanced Air	King Air 350 / 9	$5,205,254 $5,517,570	2002-12802	2023-07-12
NM	Clovis	Clovis Regional Airport	Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)----Denver (DEN)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$4,804,921	1996-1902	2022-02-18
NM	Silver City / Hurley / Deming	Grant County Airport	Albuquerque (ABQ)----Phoenix (PHX)	Advanced Air	King Air 350 / 9	$4,830,725 $4,974,646	1996-1903	2022-12-10
NY	Massena	Massena International Airport	Boston (BOS)	Boutique Air	Pilatus PC-12 / 8	$5,322,161 $5,535,047	2012-0163	2023-02-03
NY	Saranac Lake / Lake Placid	Adirondack Regional Airport	Boston (BOS)----New York-JFK (JFK)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$2,557,622 $2,634,351 $2,713,381 $2,794,783	2000-8025	2022-1-14
NY	Watertown	Watertown International Airport	Philadelphia (PHL)	American Airlines Group (as American Eagle)	Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$7,298,978	2013-0188	2023-12-19
OR	Pendleton	Eastern Oregon Regional Airport	Portland (PDX)	Boutique Air	Pilatus PC-12 / 8 or 9	$4,275,121 $4,488,877	2004-19934	2022-05-20
PA	Bradford	Bradford Regional Airport	Pittsburgh (PIT)----Washington-Dulles (IAD)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$2,888,123 (year 1) $2,960,326 (year 2) $3,034,334 (year 3) $3,110,192 (year 4)	2003-14528	2022-09-18
PA	DuBois	DuBois Regional Airport	Pittsburgh (PIT)----Washington-Dulles (IAD)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$3,184,014 $3,263,614 $3,345,205 $3,428,835	2004-17617	2020-12-03
PA	Johnstown	Johnstown–Cambria County Airport	Chicago O'Hare (ORD)----Washington-Dulles (IAD)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$6,887,013 $7,369,104	2002-11451	2023-11-2
PA	Lancaster	Lancaster Airport	Pittsburgh (PIT)----Washington-Dulles (IAD)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$2,880,168 $2,952,172 $3,025,976 $3,101,626	2002-11450	2021-10-13
PR	Mayagüez	Eugenio María de Hostos Airport	San Juan (SJU)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C - 8/9 Britten-Norman Islander - 8/9 Tecnam P2012 Traveller - 8/9	$1,693,289 $1,744,088 $1,796,411 $1,850,303 $1,905,812	2004-19622	2021-03-22
SD	Aberdeen	Aberdeen Regional Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$3,207,595	2011-0137	2022-01-20
SD	Pierre	Pierre Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)----Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$5,745,454 $6,147,636	2011-0138	2023-04-09
SD	Watertown	Watertown Regional Airport	Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)----Denver (DEN)	Key Lime Air d.b.a. Denver Air Connection	Embraer ERJ-145 / 50	$6,329,521 $6,772,587	2001-10644	2023-04-09
TN	Jackson	McKellar–Sipes Regional Airport	Atlanta (ATL)----St. Louis (STL)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$3,612,250	2000-7857	2024-06-05
TX	Victoria	Victoria Regional Airport	Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$5,956,029 $6,372,951 $6,819,058	2005-20454	2024-1-13
UT	Cedar City	Cedar City Regional Airport	Salt Lake City (SLC)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$2,564,371	2003-16395	2021-09-10
VT	Rutland	Rutland–Southern Vermont Regional Airport	Boston (BOS)	Hyannis Air Service d.b.a. Cape Air	Cessna 402C / 9 or Tecnam P2012 Traveller / 9	$3,369,473 $3,554,794 $3,750,308 $3,956,575	2005-21681	2023-08-14
VA	Staunton	Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,415,033 $5,794,085 $6,199,671	2002-11378	2022-08-33
WV	Clarksburg / Fairmont	North Central West Virginia Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,511,849 $5,897,679 $6,310,516	2005-20736	2022-08-24
WV	Lewisburg	Greenbrier Valley Airport	Charlotte (CLT)	Corporate Flight Management d.b.a. Contour Airlines	Embraer ERJ-135 / 30	$5,971,353 $6,389,348 $6,836,602	2003-15553	2022-08-31
WV	Morgantown	Morgantown Municipal Airport	Pittsburgh (PIT)----Washington-Dulles (IAD)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$3,146,083 $3,224,735 $3,305,353 $3,387,987	2005-20735	2020-12-03
WI	Eau Claire	Chippewa Valley Regional Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)----Fort Myers (RSW) - Seasonal----Las Vegas (LAS) - Seasonal----Orlando (MCO) - Seasonal		Boeing 737-800 / 186	$6,460,988	2009-0306	2022-07-07
WI	Rhinelander	Rhinelander–Oneida County Airport	Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MSP)	SkyWest Airlines (as Delta Connection)	Bombardier CRJ550 / 50 or Bombardier CRJ700 / 65/69 or Bombardier CRJ900 / 76	$6,324,046 $6,766,729	2011-0109	2023-12-17
WY	Cody	Yellowstone Regional Airport	Denver (DEN) - Seasonal	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$3,461,368 $3,703,664 $3,962,920	2011-0121	2024-05-12
WY	Laramie	Laramie Regional Airport	Denver (DEN)	SkyWest Airlines (as United Express)	Bombardier CRJ200 / 50	$4,532,359	1997-2958	2022-08-36

Alaska

style=width:5em	Community	style=width:5em	Airport	style=width:5em	Destinations	style=width:5em	Carrier	style=width:5em	Aircraft	Annual subsidy	style=width:5em	Docket	style=width:5em	Order	style=width:5em	Expires
Adak	Adak Airport	Anchorage (ANC)	Alaska Airlines	Boeing 737-700 / 124	$2,623,215 (year 1) $2,616,104 (year 2)	2000-8556	2023-06-15
Akutan	Akutan Airport	Unalaska/Dutch Harbor (DUT) Akun Island (7AK)	Grant Aviation Maritime Helicopters	Beechcraft King Air 200 / 9 or Piper Navajo / 9 Bell 206	$1,550,110 $1,706,657 $1,860,691 $1,040,113 (year 1) $1,098,078 (year 2) $1,152,195 (year 3)	2000-7068	2023-03-18
Alitak / Lazy Bay	Alitak Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Amook Bay	Amook Bay Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Angoon	Angoon Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Alaska Seaplanes	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9, Cessna 206 / 4, de Havilland Beaver / 6	$142,843 $221,313 $319,097 $440,619	2006-25542	2022-12-11
Atka	Atka Airport	Unalaska/Dutch Harbor (DUT)	Grant Aviation	Beechcraft King Air 200 / 9	$1,312,840 $1,441,554 $1,522,623 (year 3)	1995-363	2022-06-02
Central	Central Airport	Fairbanks (FAI)----Circle (CRC)	Warbelow's Air Ventures	Piper Navajo / 8	$225,982	1998-3621	2023-08-12
Chisana	Chisana Airport	Tok (TKJ)	40-Mile Air	Cessna 185 / 3 or Cessna 206 and 207 / 4	$162,374	1998-4574	2023-06-02
Circle	Circle City Airport	Fairbanks (FAI)----Central (CEM)	Warbelow's Air Ventures	Piper Navajo / 8	$225,982	1998-3621	2023-08-12
Cordova	Merle K. (Mudhole) Smith Airport	Anchorage (ANC)----Juneau (JNU)	Alaska Airlines	Boeing 737-700 / 124	$4,320,331 (passenger) $44,586 (freighter)	1998-4899	2023-03-17
Diomede	Diomede Heliport	Nome (OME)	Pathfinder Aviation	Bell 212 / 12 or Bell 412 / 12	$718,900 $747,656 $777,562	2009-0260	2023-06-16
Elfin Cove	Elfin Cove Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Alaska Seaplanes	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9, Cessna 206 / 4, de Havilland Beaver / 6	$329,352 $388,744 $460,787 $548,306	2002-11586	2022-12-11
Excursion Inlet	Excursion Inlet Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Ward Air	Cessna 185 / 3 to 4, Cessna 206 / 3 to 4, Cessna 310 / 3 to 4	$36,657 $40,103 $43,894 $49,250	2002-12014	2022-08-23
Gulkana	Gulkana Airport	Anchorage (ANC)	Reeve Air Alaska	Piper Navajo / 7	$275,518	1995-492	2022-12-12
Gustavus	Gustavus Airport	Juneau (JNU) - Seasonal	Alaska Airlines	Boeing 737-700 / 124	$405,178	1998-4899	2023-03-17
Healy Lake	Healy Lake Airport	Fairbanks (FAI)	40-Mile Air	Cessna 206 or 207 / 5	$130,903	1998-3546	2024-05-15
Hydaburg	Hydaburg Seaplane Base	Ketchikan Harbor (WFB)	Taquan Air	de Havilland Beaver / 6 or de Havilland Otter / 7	$362,435 $376,400 $390,891 $405,928 $421,531	1999-6245	2020-11-02
Kake	Kake Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Alaska Seaplanes	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9 Pilatus PC-12 / 9	$449,818 $536,020 $640,195 $755,304	2008-0217	2022-08-23
Kitoi Bay	Kitoi Bay Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Lake Minchumina	Minchumina Airport	Fairbanks (FAI)	Wright Air Service	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9 or Piper Navajo / 9, and Cessna 206 / 4	$170,880	2008-0237	2022-09-17
Manley Hot Springs	Manley Hot Springs Airport	Fairbanks (FAI)----Minto (MNT)	Warbelow's Air Ventures	Piper Navajo / 9	$50,746	2004-17563	2022-06-03
May Creek	May Creek Airport	Gulkana (GKN)	Copper Valley Air Service	Cessna 185 / 3 (Winter) Cessna 206 / 4 (Summer)	$346,222	1995-492	2022-12-12
McCarthy	McCarthy Airport	Gulkana (GKN)	Copper Valley Air Service	Cessna 185 / 3 (Winter) Cessna 206 / 4 (Summer)	$346,222	1995-492	2022-12-12
McGrath	McGrath Airport	Anchorage (ANC)	Reeve Air Alaska	Beechcraft King Air / 9	$698,450 $712,372	2017-0108	2022-11-30
Minto	Minto Al Wright Airport	Fairbanks (FAI)----Manley (MLY)	Warbelow's Air Ventures	Piper Navajo / 9	$50,746	2004-17563	2022-06-03
Moser Bay	Moser Bay Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Nikolski	Nikolski Air Station	Unalaska/Dutch Harbor (DUT)	Grant Aviation	Beechcraft King Air 200 / 9 or Piper Navajo / 9	$399,185 $440,628 $465,730 (year 3)	1995-363	2022-06-02
Olga Bay	Olga Bay Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Pelican	Pelican Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Alaska Seaplanes	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9, Cessna 206 / 4, de Havilland Beaver / 6	$578,820 $700,936 $853,751 $1,040,497	2002-11586	2022-12-11
Petersburg	Petersburg James A. Johnson Airport	Juneau (JNU)----Ketchikan (KTN)----Seattle (SEA) - Freighter	Alaska Airlines	Boeing 737-700 / 124	$2,472,052 (passenger) $237,794 (freighter)	1998-4899	2023-03-17
Port Alexander	Port Alexander Seaplane Base	Sitka (SIT)	Baranautica Air Service	Cessna 185 / 3	$124,800 $127,920 $131,118 $134,396 $137,756	1999-6244	2021-09-13
Port Bailey	Port Bailey Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Port Williams	Port Williams Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
St. George	St. George Airport	Unalaska/Dutch Harbor (DUT)	Grant Aviation	Beechcraft King Air 200 / 9	$1,054,496 $1,147,390 $1,198,524 (year 3)	2017-0109	2022-06-02
San Juan / Uganik	San Juan (Uganik) Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Seal Bay	Seal Bay Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Tatitlek	Tatitlek Airport	Anchorage-Merrill Field (MRI)	Alaska Air Transit	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	$257,009	2013-0030	2023-09-12
Tenakee Springs	Tenakee Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Alaska Seaplanes	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9, Cessna 206 / 4, de Havilland Beaver / 6	$157,447 $200,011 $252,340 $316,645	2006-25542	2022-12-11
West Point	West Point Village Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	de Havilland Beaver / 6	$38,408	2000-6945	2020-11-15
Wrangell	Wrangell Airport	Ketchikan (KTN)----Juneau (JNU)----Seattle (SEA) - Freighter	Alaska Airlines	Boeing 737-700 / 124	$2,638,479 (passenger) $257,610 (freighter)	1998-4899	2023-03-17
Yakutat	Yakutat Airport	Anchorage (ANC)----Juneau (JNU)	Alaska Airlines	Boeing 737-700 / 124	$4,348,600 (passenger) $42,838 (freighter)	1998-4899	2023-03-17
Zachar Bay	Zachar Bay Seaplane Base	Kodiak (ADQ)	Island Air Service	Cessna 206 / 5 or de Havilland Beaver / 6	$398,175 $413,297 $427,915 $439,719 $448,266	2000-6945	2020-11-15

Communities formerly having subsidized EAS

The following tables list airports which formerly had Essential Air Service subsidized routes.^[16]

Areas excluding Alaska

State	Community	Airport	Service to hub(s)	Carrier	Aircraft/seats	Docket	Order	Reason/notes
MD	Hagerstown	Hagerstown Regional Airport	Baltimore (BWI)----Pittsburgh (PIT)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	2006-25228	2019-8-17	Below 10 passenger enplanement requirement and exceeded $200 subsidy cap.
NV	Ely	Ely Airport	Las Vegas (LAS)	Great Lakes Airlines	Beechcraft 1900D / 19	1995-361	2012-12-14	Exceeded $1000 per passenger subsidy cap in effect at the time.^[17]
NY	Jamestown	Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport	Pittsburgh (PIT)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	2003-14950	2016-8-26	Below 10 passenger enplanement requirement and exceeded $200 subsidy cap. Multiple attempts to reestablish air service with Boutique Air have been denied.^[18]
PA	Franklin / Oil City	Venango Regional Airport	Pittsburgh (PIT)	Southern Airways Express	Cessna 208 Caravan / 9	1997-2523	2019-8-17	Below 10 passenger enplanement requirement and exceeded $200 subsidy cap.
SD	Huron	Huron Regional Airport	Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)	Great Lakes Airlines	Beechcraft 1900D / 19	2000-7138	2014-7-10	Exceeded $1,000 subsidy cap

Alaska

Community	Airport	Service to hub(s)	Carrier	Aircraft	Docket	Order	Reason
Chatham	Chatham Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Ward Air	Cessna 185 / 3, or Cessna 206 / 4, or de Havilland Beaver / 6	1997-3134	2018-8-15	Low resident count, no objections to terminating service
Rampart	Rampart Airport	Fairbanks (FAI)	Warbelow's Air Ventures	Piper Navajo / 9	2008-0201	2016-8-2	Subsidy no longer required
Funter Bay	Funter Bay Seaplane Base	Juneau (JNU)	Ward Air	Cessna 185 / 3, or Cessna 206 / 4, or de Havilland Beaver / 6	1997-3134	2018-8-15	Low resident count, no objections to terminating service

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Essential Air Service . U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) . October 1, 2014.
Web site: Essential Air Service (EAS) . Tang . Rachel Y. . September 3, 2015 . Congressional Research Service . March 15, 2017.
http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2014/1/ten-places-to-cut-waste-as-congress-considers-a-budget "Ten places to cut waste as Congress considers a budget"
Web site: Subsidized EAS report for communities in 48 states, HI, PR, May 2023 . . May 2023 . transportation.gov . United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) . June 14, 2023 .
Web site: Essential Air Service . Transportation.gov . US Department of Transportation . March 15, 2017.
Web site: Federal Subsidies Keep Small-Town Airports Flying . . November 18, 2009.
News: Jeff . Bailey . Subsidies Keep Airlines Flying to Small Towns . The New York Times . October 6, 2006 . October 6, 2006.
Web site: Comparison of Essential Air Service Program to Alternative Coach Bus Service . . September 2011 . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20120202212318/http://www.buses.org/files/Foundation/EAS%20Study%20Final%20Report%20FINALv2%20%2012sep11.pdf . February 2, 2012 . Archived as of February 2, 2012
Web site: Essential Air Service Reports . U.S. Department of Transportation . December 26, 2015.
Web site: US Non-Alaskan Subsidized EAS Report . October 2015 . U.S. Department of Transportation . December 26, 2015.
Web site: US Alaskan Subsidized EAS Report . October 2015 . U.S. Department of Transportation . December 26, 2015.
Web site: Airline and Airport Code Search . International Air Transport Association (IATA) . June 29, 2018.
Kotler, Fred B. Passenger Air Service in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: Overview and Analysis, UPWard Initiative, November 2012, Retrieved April 1, 2015
Web site: Steinberg. Andrew B.. Improving Air Service to Small and Rural Communities. US Department of Transportation. November 18, 2017. en. June 15, 2017. December 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031927/https://www.transportation.gov/content/improving-air-service-small-and-rural-communities-0. dead.
Web site: Order 2016-5-8 - Community Flexibility Pilot Program - Order Requesting Applications. US Department of Transportation. November 18, 2017. en. May 17, 2016. December 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161230130211/https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/Community%20Flexibility%20Pilot%20Program%20Solicitation%20Order_2016-5-8.pdf. dead.
Web site: Archived copy . August 22, 2018 . August 23, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180823073928/https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/mission/office-policy/aviation-policy/304896/eas-communities-terminated-1989feb2018.pdf . dead .
https://www.taxpayer.net/wp-content/uploads/ported/images/downloads/Ely%20Termination%20Order.pdf Docket DOT-OST-1995-361 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE PROPOSING TERMINATION OF ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE ELIGIBILITY
Web site: Regulations.gov. January 6, 2021. www.regulations.gov.