WASHINGTON - November 17, 2020 - (Newswire.com)
With the publication of its 2020 Annual Report, Regional Airline Association (RAA) President and CEO Faye Malarkey Black issued the following statement:
"It is my pleasure to provide a link to the 2020 Regional Airline Association Annual Report, which offers a critical overview of the data, statistics, and trends surrounding the regional airline industry. The air service showcased in this report fuels vital economic activity and empowers safe, convenient, and reliable air travel access for communities of all sizes. Alongside industry data, you will find information about our airline members, associate members, and other service and supply companies that comprise the regional airline universe. In my foreword, I describe this year's Annual Report as a 'snapshot in time,' because it looks back on the last full calendar year of air service. It is striking to view this data from our vantage point in 2020, knowing what challenges lie ahead. At the end of 2019, the industry was growing and small communities were gaining air service as regional airlines:
- Provided scheduled, commercial air service to 629 U.S. airports.
- Operated 40% of the nation's departures.
- Carried more passengers than before, as enplanements increased to 165 million passengers (up from 159 million in 2018).
- Posted 82 billion RPMs (up from 78 billion in 2018) and 102 billion ASMs (up from 98 billion in 2018) with load factors holding at 79 percent.
- Provided the only source of scheduled passenger air service to 436 (66%) U.S. airports.
Today, we know that 2020 held a different trajectory than the continued growth we expected. The COVID-19 pandemic that decimated air travel demand and brought global traffic to a near halt is surging again, yet federal aid for airline workers, through the highly successful Payroll Support Program (PSP), expired September 30 and has not yet been extended. Airlines of all sizes have contracted and many have been forced to furlough employees in numbers that would have been unthinkable before the pandemic. Small communities have already lost air service and deeper cuts are expected if PSP is not quickly renewed.
Reading this year's report, you may wonder: what will air service look like when we review our next Annual Report? What each of us does between now and then matters, and that is why we hope you will lend your voice to efforts to renew aid for airline workers and in support of small community air service. I encourage you to read and share this report, draw on this data to illustrate the importance of regional air service, and engage with RAA on our website and social media.
As we release this report showcasing the power of regional airline service, I want to thank you for being part of the community that protects it."
Media Contact:
Michelle Cravez
Phone: 786.877.9724
Email: media@raa.org
Press Release Service by Newswire.com
Original Source: Regional Airline Association Publishes Its 2020 Annual Report
