United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1997-06-25 monographic deposited born digital 14 p. GA 1.13:T-RCED-97-187 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187 P0b002ee180370083 f:rc97187t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187 T-RCED-97-187 Airline industry Airline regulation Commercial aviation Airports Air transportation operations Competition limitation Restrictive trade practices Transportation rates Economic growth Monopolies DOT Essential Air Service Subsidy Program Testimony RCED GAO discussed the air service problems that some communities have experienced since the deregulation of the airline industry in 1978 and initiatives that may help address those problems, focusing on: (1) why some airports serving small and medium-sized communities in the East and upper Midwest have not experienced the same level of entry as those serving communities that have benefitted from deregulation; and (2) GAO recommendations and other initiatives that may help increase competition, reduce fares, and improve the quality of air service at those small- and medium-sized-community airports.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) the combination of several factors has limited entry at airports serving small and medium-sized communities in the East and upper Midwest; (2) these factors include slower economic growth, harsher weather, and the dominance of routes to and from those airports by one or two established airlines; (3) in addition, operating barriers, such as slot controls, at nearby hub airports and incumbent airlines' marketing strategies, such as special incentives for travel agents and frequent flier plans, have fortified those dominant positions and made it very difficult for nonincumbents to compete effectively; (4) in contrast, the more wide-spread entry of new airlines at airports in the West and Southwest since deregulation, and the resulting geographic differences in fare and service trends, has stemmed largely from the greater economic growth in those regions as well as from the absence of dominant market positions of established airlines and barriers to entry; (5) increasing competition and improving air service at airports serving small and medium-sized communities that have not benefitted from fare reductions or improved service since deregulation will likely entail a range of federal, regional, local, and private-sector initiatives; (6) since GAO's October 1996 report, two national conferences have also been held to examine various options; (7) the conferences have spurred several initiatives, including; (a) outreach efforts by communities to better inform airlines of local actions to generate economic growth; and (b) commitments by corporations to support nonincumbents in markets where one or two established carriers dominate; and (8) in combination with such initiatives, commuter airlines' growing use of new regional jets instead of turboprops (propeller aircraft) has the potential to improve the quality of air service in many of the adversely affected small and medium-sized communities. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187/html/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187/pdf/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187.pdf GAO/T-RCED-97-187 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-97-187 Testimony GAO/T-RCED-97-187; Airline Deregulation: Addressing the Air Service Problems of Some Communities; Airline industry Airline regulation Commercial aviation Airports Air transportation operations Competition limitation Restrictive trade practices Transportation rates Economic growth Monopolies DOT Essential Air Service Subsidy Program