Specialty Digest

Global English editionLearners’ Study Dashboard — in development
The Knowledge Library for All

Essential Air Service in Alaska

Small aircraft serving an Alaska community
Photo: Brian A. Ridder, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bush_plane_at_Eklutna_Lake.jpg)

In one line

Essential Air Service subsidizes scheduled flights to small communities, many of them in Alaska.

Essential Air Service (EAS) is a U.S. government program that subsidizes scheduled air service to small communities. As of June 1, 2015, 44 of the 159 communities receiving EAS subsidies were in Alaska [1].

Small passenger aircraft serving a community in Alaska
Small passenger aircraft serving a community in Alaska. Photo: Spatms / CC BY-SA 4.0.
ProgramEssential Air Service (EAS)
Administered byU.S. Department of Transportation
Law49 U.S.C. 41731 to 41748
Alaska communities (June 2015)44 of 159 subsidized communities

Purpose

EAS is meant to keep scheduled service at small communities that were served by certificated airlines before deregulation in 1978. It is codified at 49 U.S.C. sections 41731 to 41748 [1].

How it works

The U.S. Department of Transportation subsidizes airlines to serve communities that otherwise would not get scheduled service. For each community it identifies a hub airport and sets the number of trips, seats, and aircraft needed to serve that hub. An alternate program pays the municipality or airport authority instead of the airline, allowing options such as smaller aircraft or on-demand air taxi [1].

Alaska

As of June 1, 2015, 44 of the 159 communities receiving EAS subsidies were in Alaska. Many Alaska communities are served by seaplane bases or small carriers, and some by Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700s. Several Alaska communities share a single subsidy amount under one docket, with each receiving a percentage of it [1]. The per-passenger and eligibility limits described for the contiguous states do not apply in the same way to Alaska in that source [1].

FAQs

What is Essential Air Service? A federal program that subsidizes scheduled air service to small communities [1].

How many Alaska communities were in EAS in 2015? 44 of the 159 subsidized communities as of June 1, 2015 [1].

Who runs the program? The U.S. Department of Transportation [1].

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Essential Air Service

Key facts

  • 44 of 159 communities in Alaska (June 2015)
  • Administered by the U.S. DOT
Quick checkWhat is Essential Air Service in Alaska?Show answer

A federal program that subsidizes scheduled air service; 44 of 159 subsidized communities were in Alaska in 2015.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia. Essential Air Service (accessed 2026-11-14)

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 14, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue