The airlines&&9; deep cutbacks in flights over the last Three Years Have fallen unevenly across the country, sparing the nation&&9;s Largely biggest airports goal hitting the hardest midsize airports.

In the last five years, a review of government statistics shows, air service MOST Often Dropped at midsize airports and cities Disappeared Where jobs or housing Prices collapsed. Las Vegas, Phoenix and Detroit, for instance, lost all flights in the 12 months ended in March That.

Purpose traffic at airports Has Risen Where the regional economies fared better Have - Denver, San Francisco and Charlotte, NC, Among Them.

As a result, the cutbacks are redrawing the nation&&9;s air service map to Reflect the Industry&&9;s New Priorities and changed economics. As Recently as a decade ago, the airlines put a premium on growth, we competed Every road and can Sought to connect to the farthest outposts Even.Now, They Are emphasizing fiscal discipline, Which Means paring back service to-many cities and destinations Altogether forgoing unprofitable as Higher Fuel Prices Weigh on Their bottom line.

"The airlines are shrinking and putting a premium on Their core network," Said Jeffrey Breen, the founder and president of Cambridge Air Research, a consulting firm. "The bottom states suffered Have and have-nots MOST Kept Up With the robust growth in The Most airports in the country."

Data Collected by the Airport Council International, a trade group, found the nation That&&9;s Smallest airports lost 10 to 15 percent of scheduled flights from Their June 2006 June-through this. Medium-size airports, Meanwhile, lost 18 percent of scheduled flights Their. Aim the biggest airports fared better Relatively; Their traffic Dropped by only 2.3 percent over five-year même That période.

The top 50 airports now Represent More than 80 percent of all passenger departures, while the 200 Smallest airports account for less than 3 percent of Passengers.

"How Much do we really air service in Need Kalamazoo, Mich., Or Terre Haute, Ind.., Where manufacturing WAS oz important?" Asked William S. Swelbar, an Industry expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Do we really Need There airports today? Sick and high fuel economies are not going to Attract airlines. "

And Because Fuel Prices Remain High, the airlines May Accelerate Their cuts in capacity by the end of the year the busy summer travel oz Period ends. In the five months May-through, the latest figures available with période, 295 of 500 airports in the nation HAD Fewer flights Than in the Same Period Last Year. In 2010, 315 airports flights Fewer Than Reported the previous year, Compared with 414 in 2009.

Nearly 200 airports, Most Of Them Many in tiny and remote places, Have lost Entirely air service since 2008.

"Airlines Have Made a decision to forgo some Deliberate Markets," Said Sunil Harman, Who Was Recently Appointed aviation director of the Tallahassee Regional Airport After 17 years as the director of planning for Miami International Airport. "Their new business model IS leaving disconnected and disenfranchised Communities from the global marketplace."

Spencer Dickerson, the senior executive vice president of the American Association of Airport Executives, airline cutbacks Said Were A major challenge. "Purpose In The End, The Bottom Line Is the marketplace, &&9;he said. "If the Passengers Are not there, it&&9;s really hard for the airlines to justify the service."

Smaller airports May continues to lose service in coming years, while the biggest hubs Will Become more crowded.The Federal Aviation Administration 550 million more Expects To Be Passengers flying in 2031 Than in 2010. Expect the biggest growth It Will Be In The nation&&9;s top hubs.

While There Are Some Broad trends behind the cuts in air service, There Are Also a Variety of Explanation of Why Some airports Experienced Deep Cuts Than Others. After Delta Air Lines shut down icts hub in Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2009, Dropped departures, falling to 200 flights a day in June from a peak of 670 five years ago direct payday lenders. The airport now Serves 55 cities, down from over 130, and only one international HAS destination, Paris.

Businesses based in the region, Including Procter & Gamble and Toyota North America&&9;s manufacturing operations, Have felt the pinch. "It&&9;s harder to get a seat on a flight," Said Ellen van der Horst, president of Cincinnati&&9;s Chamber of Commerce.

Among the mergers in recent years airlines aussi Have Contributed to the cutbacks. The drop in traffic in Cincinnati, for instance, have cam Delta Decided to focus on Detroit icts After merger with Northwest Airlines.

Similarly, St. Louis suffered a major blow When American Airlines Decided to shut down a hub operation it inherited When It Bought the assets of TWA Like MOST of the network carriers, American Airlines HAS Decided to focus on ITS biggest hubs - Including Dallas / Forth Worth and Miami International.

"The public service air Takes for granted, with the aim mergers, There Are not That Many airlines anymore, and There Are Fewer hubs," Said Justin Meyer, the manager of air service development for the Kansas City Aviation Department. "Just Because You Have a runway Does not Mean You Deserve service."

That means clustering airports must compete more fiercely Than Ever for service, Mr.Said Meyer, and Must Be Willing to offer incentives to the airlines, Including gate or lower landing fees.

Roger Cohen, Who heads the Regional Airline Association, Said Should airports offer carriers a compelling Reason to Fly Into Their Communities. "It&&9;s like dating, Where attitude is everything," Mr. Cohen said. "You want to show you&&9;re interested in. the relationship."

Two years ago, the Port of Portland, Ore., Which Operates Portland International Airport, joined with local business to commit $ 5 million to offset Delta Losses That Might Have you icts flights to Tokyo so That It Would keep flying route.

The Financial help Through the winter of 2009 Delta Persuaded not to cancel the flight, Said David Zielke, the general manager for air service development. Such international connections bring in about $ 100 million a year in Economic Investment to Portland Business, He Said.

The expansion of low-cost airlines HAS hurt aussi Some airports, Because The lower fares Often make it Worthwhile for Passengers to drive long distance. Since 1990, the oven of the top five airports with the biggest gains in traffic, Including Baltimore / Washington, Salt Lake City and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Are Served by low-cost airlines, According To Mr. Swelbar of MIT

Smaller airports fall victim to May Also the phasing out of regional airplanes, like the MD-80s, Which Many airlines are grounding Permanently or phasing out. Thesis smaller jets, for Which There are no current replacements, Can not Pay for Themselves When fuel prices are high Because THEY Have To Be Too Few seats profitable.

"The 50-seat regional aircraft Is On Everyone&&9;s Deathwatch," Said Mr. Breen, Aviation Research of Cambridge."We&&9;ve Reached a Point Where Some Types of Aircraft That Used To Provide good service to smaller arent Communities Economically viable anymore." One of Those Communities WAS Oxnard, Whose small airport Halfway Between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Calif., Became a victim of the cutbacks last year When United Express discontinued service to the airport.

"Our selling point WAS That traffic from here to LAX IS horrible," Said Jorge Rubio, the airport&&9;s manager. Now, residents of Ventura County face a grueling two-hour drive through traffic, INSTEAD of a 20-minute plane ride, to get to the Los Angeles airport.

Cutbacks Hit Hardest Air Service Where Did Recession