Washington, DC, December 30, 2021. Media contact: media@raa.org
With the publication of its 2021 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 2021 Regional Airline Association Annual Report, which offers a critical overview of the data, statistics and trends surrounding the regional airline industry. The data between these pages offer a look back at 2020, the year that Covid-19 first made its unprecedented impact across the aviation industry. Regional airlines started 2020 healthy and growing – and alongside this growth, small and medium-sized communities were rebuilding their air service – only to enter the industry’s worst and longest demand shock, starting in March. The data inside tells the story of an industry whose statistics declined by nearly every measure: departures, load factors, fleet flying hours, RPMs and ASMs, yet managed to uphold air service to 627 communities, including 439 U.S. airports served solely by regional airlines.
A year later, our recovering industry is still navigating this ongoing and evolving pandemic. Simultaneously, the challenges that faced aviation before the pandemic have returned in full force. Our team is working to advance effective policy solutions to address workforce shortages that threaten air service to small and medium-sized communities. Our success relies on the participation of our community, and we offer this annual report as a helpful tool for better understanding. I encourage you to read and share this report, draw on its data to illustrate the importance of regional air service, engage with us on social media and help spread the word about our important industry and all it supports.
As we look back on a year of community, I want to thank you for being part of ours. We treasure each of you and the contributions you make to the regional airline industry and the communities we connect.”
About RAA
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) provides a unified voice of advocacy for North American regional airlines aimed at promoting a safe, reliable and strong regional airline industry. RAA serves as an important support network connecting regional airlines and industry business partners. In the United States, regional airlines operate 43% of scheduled passenger flights and provide the only source of scheduled air service to 66% of the nation’s airports. Regional airlines provide 75% or more of the air service in Alabama (81%), Alaska (87%), Arkansas (85%), Iowa (81%), Kansas (80%), Kentucky (76%), Maine (87%), Mississippi (94%), Montana (79%), North Dakota (87%), South Dakota (86%), Vermont (92%), West Virginia (92%). Regional airlines provide half or more of the air service in Idaho (74%), Illinois (54%), Indiana (59%), Michigan (60%), Minnesota (51%), Nebraska (65%), New Hampshire (73%), New Mexico (59%), North Carolina (56%), Ohio (56%), Oklahoma (55%), Oregon (62%), Pennsylvania (58%), Puerto Rico (71%), South Carolina (61%), Virginia (57%), Wisconsin (67%), and Wyoming (68%).