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As a life-long resident of this area, chairman of the Williamsport Municipal Airport Authority, businessman and non-profit volunteer, it is hard for me to not speak out about our loss of air service issue from a place of true sincerity. When American Airlines made the decision to leave Williamsport in 2021, it was a huge blow that we are still reeling from. The Williamsport Regional Airport is a major catalyst for enhancing the region we call home, and one of our main drivers for economic development and a literal connection point to the world. But this is an issue not just felt by our community, but rural and small communities across the United States. We must as a community, now speak out to restore air service to Williamsport and other rural communities across the United States.
The challenges in the airline industry we are all witnessing today are real, such as a pilot shortage, lack of available aviation materials and equipment, such as smaller aircraft designed for smaller airports. But that said, these pains are not being felt equally, rural and small regional airports are feeling it "first and worst", and more and more communities like Williamsport are losing most if not all daily air service. The legacy airlines answer to these challenges is to abandon rural and small communities--the backbone of America. Contrast with the over $55 billion in bailouts the major air carriers received during the pandemic, billions in annual subsidies and the record profits they have recorded since restoring air service to big city America, the decision of the legacy air carriers to cut service to places like Williamsport is creating winners and losers--rural and small community airports like Williamsport are currently losing. Luckily, we are still serving partners like Life Flight, Federal Express, UPS, US Postal Service, corporate, charter and private aircraft on a regular basis. We have also handled the Little League Baseball and Major League Baseball Charter flights without incident. And while we are happy about this, our citizens need access to regular commercial airline service. This airport had once and still can serve around 500,000 people if given the chance. In the year 2023, nobody in the United States of America should be forced to drive hours to access commercial air service. But that is the decision that the major airlines have come to, abandoning our rural and small community airports for perhaps more profitable urban center airports. And few in Washington, DC are doing anything about it. This has become a failure of our federal government, out-of-touch bureaucrats and some elected officials.
Fortunately, there are tools that exist, and there is an opportunity right now to restore air service to communities like Williamsport. The FAA's Essential Air Service (EAS) is one of them. EAS is a federal program designed to incentivize legacy carriers like American Airlines to service communities like ours. The program has been around for over 40 years and is credited for keeping flights going to and from airports in Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Iowa, West Virginia, Maine, and many more that otherwise would never see commercial service due to being classified as unprofitable by the legacy carriers. The program is dated, however, and missing the mark to fully maintain air service and due to bureaucratic changes made years ago in Washington, DC, Williamsport is no longer eligible for the program. But adjustments can be made in the current FAA reauthorization to make us eligible for it again. Luckily, our federal elected officials, such as U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas; U.S. Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Howard; U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, understand this issue and realize the importance of commercial air service to our regional economy and to our citizens and are trying to make this issue one of their top priorities.
Please reach out to Meuser, Thompson, Casey and Fetterman -- our champions -- to encourage them to keep supporting our region by pushing for our inclusion in the EAS program in the upcoming FAA reauthorization. We ask that you request their offices weigh in on federal funding programs, like EAS, in the coming weeks as FAA reauthorization is being taken up by Congress.
The catalyst for a thriving regional economy and a vibrant way of life is our ability to easily access commercial air transportation. It is imperative that we restore air service to Williamsport and small and rural communities like ours, so that we don't get left behind.
Frank Pellegrino is chairman of the Williamsport Municipal Airport Authority.