Essential Air Service (EAS)

Southern Airways Express retains its Essential Air Service contracts in Arkansas and continues to be highly reliable despite a pandemic that has pummeled the industry, officials say. read more >

Glen Barentine, the airport director at Hot Springs Memorial Field, says the pandemic may have lasting effects on air travel, including increased charters. read more >

Is air service essential enough that taxpayers should subsidize private companies because there isn’t enough consumer demand? The cities and airports served by EAS, in Arkansas and elsewhere, don’t struggle to answer that question at all. And Congress is on their side. read more >

Southern Airways Express LLC has seen its passenger traffic climb since it began offering flights in Arkansas in early 2017. read more >

The airport code is HOT, and these days it’s both an identifier and a description: Traffic, revenue and optimism are climbing at Hot Springs Memorial Field. read more >

Whether passengers will soon be flying again from the South Arkansas Regional Airport in El Dorado is up in the air as the U.S. Department of Transportation reviews the community’s appeal of the airline selected to provide subsidized Essential Air Service. read more >