Cutbacks at Small Airports Threaten to Leave Some Colleges Stranded
By Silla Brush, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 30, 2005

Left without nearby commercial air service, many watch travel costs soar. Some buy planes. Last September officials at Cornell University faced a daunting problem. They risked being stranded without any air service within at least a 60-mile drive. US Airways, the only airline then serving Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, had filed for bankruptcy for the second time in two years.

Experts say the trend is likely to continue as airlines come under continued pressure to shift service away from small airports that they cannot serve profitably. Worsening the situation are the additional financial pressures that airlines are under as a result of high fuel prices. This month, Delta and Northwest became the third and fourth major airlines, following United and US Airways, to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to shield them from creditors while they get their finances in order.

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