Air routes slashed

For years there have been predictions small cities would be the first casualties of continued airline consolidation. Now comes further evidence – at least as far as getting to or from in-demand Reagan Washington National Airport is concerned. The compact airport is a mere 4 miles/6 kilometers from city center D.C., easily accessible by light rail and car. Because of its limited capacity the government restricts the number of takeoffs and landing, allotting ‘slots’ for carriers that serve the airport.

Problem is, under terms of the American Airlines/US Airways merger the combined carrier has to divest itself of 52 slots pairs. The result will be decreased access to a slew of smaller cities. Unless other carriers step in to start up service on the axed routes that means no more nonstop, year-round flights via American/US Airways from DCA to 17 cities, most of them smaller communities.

Three of those cities already have competitive service from Reagan, cities such as Detroit, Minneapolis and Montreal. The remaining 14, however, are served from Reagan solely by AA/US. They could well be left twisting in the wind.

As of right now – according to Official Airline Guides – there is no competitive service from DCA to Augusta, Georgia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Islip, New York; Jacksonville, North Carolina; Little Rock, Arkansas; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Nassau, Bahamas; Pensacola, Florida; San Diego, California; Savannah, Georgia; and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Military towns could be especially hard hit: Augusta, Fayetteville; Jacksonville, North Carolina and Pensacola. These places rely on fast air and ground connections to the Pentagon and sites in suburban northern Virginia.

American has yet to announce end-dates for the service. AirlineRatings.com will keep you posted on who gets those 52 slot pairs, and where those carriers will be flying.