With ample service to large regional hubs like Raleigh, N.C., there is less need for additional service to places like Greensboro or Winston-Salem, which are within two hours of Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Last time I checked, Greensboro and Winston-Salem were served by the same airport, which renders the preceding sentence slightly nonsensical, but the Paper of Record's intended point is true enough and the report on smaller airports sucking wind is still sad news.

I got a very decent fare and reasonably convenient times for a GSO-LGA commute next week; the story deals mainly with the problems of going from one secondary city to another, which is true for us as well.

Comments

[Billy Jones]

It's time for Greensboro to face reality: We cannot out-spend the State of North Carolina and their money is on Raleigh, Charlotte and someday, Wilmington. Do we give up? No, we invest in our neighborhoods so that the quality of life for all of Greensboro goes up and not just a few who happen to be connected with the Greensboro Partnership.

[Harold]

Federal subsidies (Essential Air Service Progam) to airlines flying into some of these very small regional airports (GSO not in this category) have been reduced or in many cases eliminated. Thus, airlines drop the service to these small airports because they're unable to make a profit on half-filled planes with, in some cases, only one flight per day. As I recall this occurred at Trenton NJ a few years ago. One airline services the airport, few passengers, Fed subsidies cut, we're out of here.