Air traffic

NPR - A federal program that pays airlines to operate in small and rural communities could face a 50% budget cut, leaving many areas with no flight options. Americans in isolated regions value air travel for its speed and convenience, and the airports can boost local economies and tourism. But flights out of remote areas are often money losers for airlines due to low and erratic passenger demand. Attracting commercial air service increasingly relies on local, state or federal subsidies, which are harder to obtain amid government budget cuts. In Provincetown, Mass., the fight to save year-round flights to Boston highlights the challenges of attracting commercial flights to isolated places.