The Regional Airline Association (RAA) has revealed that around two-thirds of US airports rely on regional airlines as their only source of air service.
The findings were published in the RAA’s 2025 Annual Report, which coincides with the association’s 50th anniversary of serving regional aviation in the US. The report underlines the crucial role regional airlines play in connecting communities across the nation.
Serving the US’s regional aviation ecosystem
Speaking at the RAA’s annual Leaders Conference in Washington DC on 18 September, Faye Malarkey-Black described the association’s 50th anniversary as a “remarkable milestone for an organisation that has always been more than a trade association.”
Its purpose she said was to serve the “greater good of regional aviation and the people and communities who depend on us.”
That community includes nearly every commercially served US airport, with 635 commercial air transport hubs (94.3 percent) across the country benefitting from regional air service. The report also highlighted that 430 US airports rely exclusively on regional airlines for their lone source of scheduled commercial air service in 2024.
Regional carriers serve 94.5 per cent of US commercial airports
Most US airports lack the passenger volume needed to sustain air service by network carriers. These smaller communities rely exclusively on regional airlines for their scheduled commercial air service. While network carriers directly served just 36 per cent of the nation’s commercially-served airports, regional carriers served 94.5 per cent of these airports.”
“The service offered by regional airlines is foundational to the economic well-being and strong quality of life at our nation’s smaller downtowns,” the report said.
Regional airlines operated 32.3 per cent of US scheduled passenger departures, with regional airlines providing over 70 per cent of total air services in states such as West Virginia, Alaska, North Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Alabama and Vermont.
Meanwhile, in Maine, Mississippi, South Dakota, Idaho, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Montana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana, regional carriers provide more than half of the air service.
From major hubs to rural airports, regional airlines support an air service network that keeps communities connected and opportunities within reach,” the report continued.
Overcoming workforce shortage
Looking ahead, Malarkey-Black cautioned that the shortage of skilled personnel remains a major barrier for the sector. Nearly 50 per cent of pilots in the US are currently facing retirement within the next 15 years due to a federally mandated age limit of 65.
The RAA, said Malarkey-Black, is committed to building a resilient, well-trained workforce. “Lowering barriers to entry – including the financial hurdles that keep too many from pursuing pilot training – is essential so that aviation careers are open to talented people from every background.”
Alongside boosting high-quality training and improving financial support for future aviators, the RAA is also focused on “ensuring regulations and airline-led initiatives continue to advance safety, with a strong emphasis on modernising the nation’s Air Traffic Control system.”
