Small Cities Get Enough Flights

<H1>Small Cities Get Enough Flights</H1><H3>By Barbara Cook</H3><I>Washington, D.C. </I>- Business travelers who grumble that air service to the nation's smaller communities hasn't been the same since airline deregulation took effect in 1978 are absolutely right. But according to a new Department of Transportation survey of 320 communities, the reduced level of service in second-tier cities is a lot more proportional to demand than it was before deregulation.

In 1978, for instance, only one of the 320 communities studied was served by a major carrier and its affiliate; in 1995, 17 communities had such service, and five were served by two separate carriers. Also in 1978, 38 of the communities surveyed received service to more than two large hubs; that number had grown to 43 by 1995.

DOT Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs Charles Hunnicutt recently unveiled the study's results before Washington's Aero Club. The review of deregulation's 17-year history took an in-depth look at communities in terms of airline service frequency, capacity and fares.

DOT described the survey, which was requested by Congress, as a response to stated concerns that many small communities have experienced "an unwarranted deterioration" of air service and that both availability and fares have not been "appropriate or fair."

From 1978 until the mid 1980s, carriers drew down service at many of the communities studied, DOT reported. During the second half of the period studied-through 1995-a commuter carrier system that is largely affiliated with the major airlines developed in these communities.

While the study was unable to draw firm conclusions about air fares due to limited data, Hunnicutt said that, in general, communities are receiving the level of service they can support.

But he also said that there are regional differences in terms of the impact of deregulation. DOT now is investigating those differences as well as potential measures for responding to them.

On the other hand, DOT found that many of the communities surveyed were receiving service far in excess of their demand levels in 1978.

One community that emplaned under 10 passengers per day was receiving daily service with jet aircraft, DOT said. At the other extreme, some large traffic-generating communities were being served by only one local carrier. North Central Airlines in 1978, for instance, was the only carrier that serviced Traverse City, Mich., a city generating a passenger volume of 239 passengers per day at the time. The lighter-volume town now is served by a commuter carrier with small equipment, while Traverse City has five carriers.

DOT found that adjustments in the number of seats offered in small communities also appear to reflect true demand. In 1978, 296 of the 320 communities studied used less than 50 percent of the seat capacity being provided to them, DOT said. While that has changed over the years, capacity still has been sufficient to meet the communities' needs, DOT said.