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Essential Air Service in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Tony Grubesic
  • Ran Wei
  • Alan Murray
  • Fangwu Wei

Abstract

The Essential Air Service (EAS) program continues to receive federal funding to provide air travel access to rural communities in the United States. Regular assessment and evaluation of the performance of this program are important, given limited federal resources and fiduciary duties. In fact, this program has garnered significant attention through the years because it was originally conceived to offer temporary financial bridging for maintaining commercial air service in rural and remote communities following deregulation in 1978, yet has continued to be funded at increasing rates for over thirty-five years. This article undertakes a systematic analysis of the EAS program in terms of access and intended goals and objectives. A spatial optimization model is used to examine service performance of the existing system. Program insights as well as ways system efficiency that could be enhanced are highlighted for rural air transportation service in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Tony Grubesic & Ran Wei & Alan Murray & Fangwu Wei, 2016. "Essential Air Service in the United States," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(1), pages 108-130, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:inrsre:v:39:y:2016:i:1:p:108-130
    DOI: 10.1177/0160017614532653
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mueller, Falko, 2021. "Accessibility for money? An evaluation of subsidized air transport services in Europe and the United States," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 153-164.
    2. Wu, Hanjun & Hong Tsui, Kan Wai & Ngo, Thanh & Lin, Yi-Hsin, 2020. "Impacts of aviation subsidies on regional wellbeing: Systematic review, meta-analysis and future research directions," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 215-239.
    3. Fuellhart, Kurt & Dai, Liang & Grubesic, Tony & Derudder, Ben, 2021. "The U.S. Essential Air Service Program and SARS C0V-2, 2019–2020," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    4. Alan T. Murray, 2016. "Maximal Coverage Location Problem," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(1), pages 5-27, January.
    5. Minato, Nobuaki & Morimoto, Risako, 2017. "Dynamically interdependent business model for airline–airport coexistence," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(PB), pages 161-172.
    6. Fangwu Wei & Tony H. Grubesic, 2015. "A Typology of Rural Airports in the United States: Evaluating Network Accessibility," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 45(1), pages 57-85, Spring.
    7. Zhong, Qing & Tong, Daoqin, 2020. "Spatial layout optimization for solar photovoltaic (PV) panel installation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 1-11.
    8. Ran Wei, 2016. "Coverage Location Models," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(1), pages 48-76, January.
    9. Joshua Hall & Amanda Ross & Christopher Yencha, 2015. "The political economy of the Essential Air Service program," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 147-164, October.
    10. Wei, Fangwu & Grubesic, Tony H., 2016. "The pain persists: Exploring the spatiotemporal trends in air fares and itinerary pricing in the United States, 2002–2013," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 107-121.
    11. Yongha Park & Morton E O’Kelly, 2017. "Exploring accessibility from spatial interaction data: An evaluation of the Essential Air Service (EAS) program in the contiguous US air transport system," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(4), pages 930-951, April.

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