Several weeks ago we learned that US airlines would be allowed to drop service to dozens of cities, and that list of cities has now been approved and finalized. Let’s take a look at the details.
The destinations that US airlines will be dropping
US airlines received billions of dollars in aid through the CARES Act, and one condition of accepting aid was agreeing to maintain service to all US airports that were previously served.
Airlines weren’t required to maintain all the same routes and frequencies, but at a minimum they needed to maintain at least some service to all airports that previously belonged to their network. The logic was to continue to give all communities access to air service.
However, US airlines have been able to apply for specific service exemptions, which were approved on a case-by-case basis by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Several weeks the DOT announced that US airlines would be able to drop service to more airports:
- Airlines can drop service to either five total markets, or to 5% of their total markets served, whichever is greater
- Airlines could prioritize the markets to which they wanted to drop service, and then the DOT would make the final decision, ensuring that each market still has service from at least one airline
- These exemptions apply for service through September 30, 2020 (after that airlines can do whatever they want, since CARES Act funding runs out)
After a review period, the decision of which destinations can be dropped has now been finalized. Here’s a look at which cities US airlines will be dropping:
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Charleston, SC
- Columbus, OH
- El Paso, TX
- New Orleans, LA
- San Antonio, TX
Alaska Airlines is dropping service to five markets
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air will be dropping service to the following six cities:
- New Orleans, LA
- Ogdensburg, NY
- Palm Springs, CA
- San Antonio, TX
- Springfield, IL
- Tucson, AZ
American Airlines
Surprisingly American Airlines will only be dropping service to the following four cities (which also spells the end of the 29 mile flight between Aspen and Eagle):
- Aspen, CO
- Eagle, CO
- Montrose/Delta, CO
- Worcester, MA
Cape Air
Cape Air will be dropping service to the following city:
- Portland, ME
Corvus Airlines
Corvus Airlines will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Goodnews Bay, AK
- Kodiak, AK
- Napakiak, AK
- Napaskiak, AK
- Platinum, AK
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines will be dropping service to the following 11 cities, tied for the most of any airline:
- Aspen, CO
- Bangor, ME
- Erie, PA
- Flint, MI
- Fort Smith, AR
- Lincoln, NE
- New Bern/Morehead/Beaufort, NC
- Peoria, IL
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Williston, ND
Delta is dropping service to 11 markets
Elite Airways
Elite Airways will be dropping service to the following city:
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL
Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Greenville/Spartanburg, SC
- Mobile, AL
- Palm Springs, CA
- Portland, ME
- Tyler, TX
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Albuquerque, NM
- Palm Springs, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL
- Worcester, MA
JetBlue is dropping service to five markets
Seaborne Virgin Islands
Seaborne Virgin Islands will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Charlotte Amalie, VI
- Christiansted, VI
- Culebra, PR
- San Juan, PR
- Vieques, PR
Silver Airways
Silver Airways will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Charlotte Amalie, VI
- Huntsville, AL
- Key West, FL
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Asheville, NC
- Charlotte Amalie, VI
- Christiansted, VI
- Greensboro/High Point, NC
- Plattsburgh, NY
Spirit is dropping service to five markets
Sun Air Express
Sun Air Express will be dropping service to the following city:
- Nashville, TN
Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines will be dropping service to the following five cities:
- Madison, WI
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, OR
- Sacramento, CA
- St. Louis, MO
United Airlines
United Airlines will be dropping service to the following 11 cities, tied for the most of any airline:
- Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, PA
- Charlotte Amalie, VI
- Chattanooga, TN
- Fairbanks, AK
- Hilton Head, SC
- Ithaca/Cortland, NY
- Kalamazoo, MI
- Key West, FL
- Lansing, MI
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Rochester, MN
United is dropping service to 11 markets
Bottom line
US airlines will be dropping flights to dozens of markets this summer, thanks to new permission granted by the DOT. If you’re booked on one of the above airlines to one of the listed destinations, expect you may very well get a cancelation notice soon.
I’d say there are two things that I find most interesting about the above list:
- Southwest Airlines didn’t request any service exemptions
- American Airlines is cutting only four markets, while Delta and United are each cutting 11 markets
What do you make of the US airports that airlines are dropping?
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