Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • About
    • About TREC
    • Advancing Equity
    • Our Staff
    • Our Researchers
    • Contact Us
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Join Our Mailing List
    • Media Coverage
  • Programs
    • Transportation Data
    • The Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation
    • TREC Resource Hub
    • PacTrans
    • Better Block PSU
    • Workforce Development
    • National Institute For Transportation And Communities
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Transportation Seminars
    • BikePed Training
    • Summer High School Camp
    • Ann Niles Lecture
    • Past Events
  • Research and Data
    • Research Areas
    • Researchers
    • All Projects
    • Final Reports
    • PORTAL: Portland-Vancouver
    • BikePed Portal: National
    • For Researchers
  • Study at PSU
    • Why Study at PSU?
    • Degrees and Courses
    • STEP Student Group
    • Graduate Research Assistants
    • Scholars
    • Sustainable Transportation Study Abroad
User account menu
  • Log in

How Essential is Essential Air Service? The Value of Airport Access for Remote Communities

How Essential is Essential Air Service? The Value of Airport Access for Remote CommunitiesPhoto

Principal Investigator:

Austin Drukker, University of Arizona


Summary:

Essential Air Service is a federal government program that provides subsidies to airlines that provide commercial service between certain remote communities and larger hubs, which proponents argue are justified because driving to larger airports would be prohibitively expensive for residents of these communities. I estimate the value of Essential Air Service to local communities using a revealed-p... Essential Air Service is a federal government program that provides subsidies to airlines that provide commercial service between certain remote communities and larger hubs, which proponents argue are justified because driving to larger airports would be prohibitively expensive for residents of these communities. I estimate the value of Essential Air Service to local communities using a revealed-preferences approach by formulating and estimating a discrete-choice model of domestic air travel purchases that incorporates passengers’ geographical proximity to alternative airports. I estimate the model using proprietary data containing millions of domestic airline passengers’ residential ZIP codes coupled with their choice of airline product. Simple data tabulations reveal that most travelers living in regions receiving subsidized service have several alternative airports to choose from and generally prefer to drive to larger airports. A counterfactual policy simulation using the estimated model finds that, in aggregate, community members value subsidized commercial air service from their local airport at $16 million per year, compared to an annual cost of over $290 million. See More

Project Details

Project Type: Dissertation
Project Status: Completed
End Date: January 31, 2023
UTC Funding: $15,000

Downloadable Products

  • How Essential Is Essential Air Service? The Value of Airport Access for Remote Communities (FINAL_REPORT)
  • Policy Options for Connecting Remote Communities to Air Transportation Networks (PROJECT_BRIEF)

 

© 2024 | Transportation Research and Education Center | 503-725-8545 | asktrec@pdx.edu