The Essential Air Service Program has to be the most effective and most important effort our government has.

• More than 100 airports receive federal subsidies under the “Essential Air Service” program

• Per-passenger flight subsidies for these flights are greater than per-rider subsidies to Amtrak

• Subsidies are as high as $677 per one-way ticket, and airports average as few as 3 passengers per flight

In most cases people can and do (hence the lower traffic numbers) drive to larger airports. But this is one piece of pork that just won’t go away.