Cost of Air Travel by Airport

The cost of Airline Travel from your local airport is an important function of economic development. Lower air fares is good for attracting and keeping business. The article below explains the large variance in costs.

A community is wise to try to attract low cost airlines to their region. I live in two small markets - Peoria, Illinois and Sarasota, Illinois. In both communities you can travel to larger airports for lower air fares - to Chicago or Tampa.  It would be better for the economies of both communities if they could attract a low cost carrier or even start a new one.


"Why is my airport so expensive?" I hear this question all the time, and here's the answer. The airfare you purchase to fly from your airport is expensive because the facility is A) Small and a fairly long drive to the nearest larger airport, or B) There's little or no competition, especially low-cost airline competition, or C) both.

Let's take a look at the latest list of "most expensive" airports in the U.S., as defined by the government's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS); the numbers crunchers there base this list on a 10 percent sample ofairline tickets sold during July, August and September of 2009.

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