Inside the DOT’s EAS Program

The Essential Air Service Program has to be the most effective and most important effort our government has.

  • More than 100 airports receive federal subsidies under the “Essential Air Service” program

  • Per-passenger flight subsidies for these flights are greater than per-rider subsidies to Amtrak

  • Subsidies are as high as $677 per one-way ticket, and airports average as few as 3 passengers per flight

In most cases people can and do (hence the lower traffic numbers) drive to larger airports. But this is one piece of pork that just won’t go away.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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