U.S. Airlines Now Authorized To Suspend Service To 62 Airports, Despite Objections

U.S. airlines have officially been granted the right to suspend service to a total of 62 airports on the basis of reduced demand. Last month, I provided a list of destinations that the U.S. Department of Transportation provisionally approved for airline service suspensions. Despite numerous objections, the provisional approval is now a final approval.

Note: Airlines Will Not Necessarily Suspend Service…

Do note at the outset that although airlines now have the right to immediately terminate service to the destinations below through the end of September, that does not necessarily mean that they will. Although it seems far-fetched the airlines were engaging in poker with one another in bluffing service cuts, until you receive an actual cancellation notice from your carrier, the list below is merely a list. But it should give you an indication of whether your carrier is likely to cancel service, perhaps even at the very-last minute.

Objections Overlooked By DOT

In noting its final order (.pdf) on adjustments to service obligations, the DOT recapped several objections it received from citizens, local governments, and port authorities. In all cases, it declined to modify its initial grant of service exemptions.

The Full List Of Approved Airline Suspensions

Here is the final list of approved airline suspensions organized by airline:

Alaska Airlines Suspensions

• Charleston, SC – (CHS)
• Columbus, OH – (CMH)
• El Paso, TX – (ELP)
• New Orleans, LA – (MSY)
• San Antonio, TX – (SAT)

Allegiant Air Suspensions

• New Orleans, LA – (MSY)
• Ogdensburg, NY – (OGS)
• Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
• San Antonio, TX – (SAT)
• Springfield, IL – (SPI)
• Tucson, AZ – (TUS)

American Airlines Suspensions

• Aspen, CO – (ASE)
• Eagle, CO – (EGE)
• Montrose, CO – (MTJ)
• Worcester, MA – (ORH)

Note that American Airlines also abruptly ended service to Oakland (OAK) this week, but that was under a different exemption that allows airlines to suspend service to airports within a metropolis already served. American Airlines continues to serve San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC) in the Bay Area.

Cape Air Suspensions

• Portland, ME – (PWM)

Corvus Airlines / Era Aviation / Ravn Alaska Suspensions

• Goodnews Bay, AK – (GNU)
• Kodiak, AK – (ADQ)
• Napakiak, AK – (WNA)
• Napaskiak, AK – (PKA)
• Platinum, AK – (PTU)

Delta Air Lines Suspensions

• Aspen, CO – (ASE)
• Bangor, ME – (BGR)
• Erie, PA – (ERI)
• Flint, MI – (FNT)
• Fort Smith, AR – (FSM)
• Lincoln, NE – (LNK)
• New Bern/Morehead/Beaufort, NC – (EWN)
• Peoria, IL – (PIA)
• Santa Barbara, CA – (SBA)
• Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA – (AVP)
• Williston, ND – (XWA)

Elite Airways Suspensions

• Sarasota/Bradenton, FL – (SRQ)

Frontier Airlines Suspensions

• Greenville/Spartanburg, SC – (GSP)
• Mobile, AL – (MOB)
• Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
• Portland, ME – (PWM)
• Tyler, TX – (TYR)

JetBlue Airways  Suspensions

• Albuquerque, NM – (ABQ)
• Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
• Sacramento, CA – (SMF)
• Sarasota/Bradenton, FL – (SRQ)
• Worcester, MA – (ORH)

Seaborne Virgin Islands Suspensions

• St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
• St. Croix, VI – (STX)
• Culebra, PR – (CPX)
• San Juan, PR – (SJU)
• Vieques, PR – (VQS)

Silver Airways Suspensions

• St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
• Huntsville, AL – (HSV)
• Key West, FL – (EYW)
• Tallahassee, FL – (TLH)
• Tampa, FL – (TPA)

Spirit Airlines Suspensions

• Asheville, NC – (AVL)
• St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
• St. Croix, VI – (STX)
• Greensboro/High Point, NC – (GSO)
• Plattsburgh, NY – (PBG)

Sun Air Express Suspensions

• Nashville, TN – (BNA)

Sun Country Airlines Suspensions

• Madison, WI – (MSN)
• Philadelphia, PA – (PHL)
• Portland, OR – (PDX)
• Sacramento, CA – (SMF)
• St. Louis, MO – (STL)

United Airlines Suspensions

• Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, PA – (ABE)
• St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
• Chattanooga, TN – (CHA)
• Fairbanks, AK – (FAI)
• Hilton Head, SC – (HHH)
• Ithaca/Cortland, NY – (ITH)
• Kalamazoo, MI – (AZO)
• Key West, FL – (EYW)
• Lansing, MI – (LAN)
• Myrtle Beach, SC – (MYR)
• Rochester, MN – (RST)

CONCLUSION

Hopefully carriers do the right thing and cancel quickly, if they will cancel. Thousands of passengers are now uncertain about their upcoming travel plans and nothing is worse than a last-minute cancellation. But do note the list…it is now final and represents likely service cuts in the days and weeks ahead.

And kudos for Southwest Airlines for not seeking permission to cut service from a single city.