{"id":49237,"date":"2026-04-28T08:36:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T08:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=49237"},"modified":"2026-04-28T08:36:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T08:36:17","slug":"this-little-known-program-is-why-your-tiny-hometown-airport-has-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=49237","title":{"rendered":"This Little-Known Program Is Why Your Tiny Hometown Airport Has Flights"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Ever thought about Rhinelander, Wisconsin? Not many have, outside of its 8,000 residents and their families.<\/p>\n

But if you want to fly to Rhinelander, you can, thanks largely to the Essential Air Service (EAS).<\/p>\n

EAS is a federal subsidy program that helps support airline service to smaller communities across the country, keeping them connected to larger hub airports and the broader global aviation network.<\/p>\n

Rhinelander is one of 177 communities in the United States (65 of which are in Alaska) that are part of the program.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a vestige of a time when the airline industry was much more heavily regulated by the federal government, and for smaller communities it continues to be an economic lifeline.<\/p>\n

What Is the Essential Air Service?<\/h2>\n

The EAS program is a government grant that subsidizes airlines to fly to small communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the late 70s there was this discussion that if we had more competition and privatized these things, the free market will have more airlines competing with each other and that will lead to lower prices for everybody and better service and so on,\u201d Maxine Lubner, a professor and chair of the Management Department at Vaughn College, told USA TODAY. \u201cIt happened that way initially, we had a lot of airlines offering very low prices and services all over the place, but very quickly the airline industry consolidated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lubner said that as the industry contracted, many airlines pulled out of smaller, less profitable airports, leaving those communities disconnected.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongresspeople realized that very tiny areas were going to get left out because everybody was going to go where the markets were, so they tacked on this Essential Air Service program, which ensured that people in remote areas would still get transportation service,\u201d Lubner said.<\/p>\n

The Department of Transportation provides airlines with a subsidy on a \u201cper-flight-completed basis,\u201d and the funds can range from a few million to a few thousand dollars per route per year.<\/p>\n

What Are Essential Air Service Flights Like?<\/h2>\n

It varies. There are minimum requirements for plane sizes and frequencies, but operators have a lot of latitude when it comes to what aircraft they use and what kind of service they offer onboard.<\/p>\n

How Can Travelers Book Essential Air Service Flights?<\/h2>\n

That also depends on the operator, but most of the flights are bookable online like those on any other airline.<\/p>\n

Some EAS flights are operated by regional subsidiaries of major airlines or by mainline carriers themselves like JetBlue, and those flights can be booked through the websites of the marketing airline directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn today\u2019s world, you book on the website if you can, and obviously everybody uses the internet these days or an app,\u201d Daniel Friedenzohn, professor of aeronautical science and associate dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, previously told USA TODAY. \u201cFor some people, it might be unique because people aren\u2019t familiar with the particular airline.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Do Communities Qualify?<\/h2>\n

EAS-qualifying communities in the continental United States must have received subsidies between Sept. 30, 2010 and Sept. 30, 2011.<\/p>\n

In order to continue qualifying, EAS airports must also maintain a minimum of 10 passengers per subsidized flight on average per day each year, unless the qualifying airport is more than 175 miles to the nearest larger airport. The subsidy must be less than $650 per passenger on average. For communities that are 175 miles or more from the nearest airport, it must be less than $850 per passenger.<\/p>\n

Communities in Hawaii and Alaska have different requirements.<\/p>\n

The Department of Transportation\u2019s website contains more technical details about qualifications.<\/p>\n

What Are the Requirements for Airlines to Operate Essential Air Service Flights?<\/h2>\n

Airlines bidding for EAS contracts usually have to plan to operate at least two daily flights to the subsidized community on 30- or 50-seat aircraft. Operators can also use smaller planes, including those with nine seats or fewer, and run flights at higher frequencies.<\/p>\n

Friedenzohn, from Embry-Riddle, previously said that the DOT sometimes relaxes these requirements on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n

In 2025, the DOT spent nearly $690 million on EAS grants.<\/p>\n

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever thought about Rhinelander, Wisconsin? Not many have, outside of its 8,000 residents and their families. But if you want to fly to Rhinelander, you can, thanks largely to the Essential Air Service (EAS). EAS is a federal subsidy program that helps support airline service to smaller communities across the country, keeping them connected to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[32],"class_list":{"0":"post-49237","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-burrow","8":"tag-featured"},"yoast_head":"\nThis Little-Known Program Is Why Your Tiny Hometown Airport Has Flights | iSafeSpend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ever thought about Rhinelander, Wisconsin? Not many have, outside of its 8,000 residents and their families. 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