Small airports suffer more than larger airports in wake of recession, mergers, fuel price hikes

Major airlines accelerated cutbacks over the last three years because of the recession, rising fuel prices and company mergers. This led many to stop flights to smaller airports that serve many rural areas, making flight times to and from small cities longer, reports Jad Mouawad of The New York Times. The move has forced at least three regional airports into bankruptcy since 2010.

The country's top 25 airports lost 4 percent of domestic nonstop capacity from 2006 to 2011. The smallest airports lost 19 percent. Atmosphere Research Group President Jeffrey Breen said this has forced most airports to lose nonstop flights, "but the smaller airports are really the ones that have taken it on the chin the most." As a result, travelers face more complicated trips that often involve connections at hub airports, Mouawad reports.

Small airports also saw an increase in fares. The average price increase was 6 percent, but some small airports saw 16 to 18 percent increases, according to Bureau of Transportation Statistics data. The three most expensive airports to fly from are now Cincinnati, Huntsville, Ala. and Memphis, where the most expensive average ticket price was $488 in the third quarter. (Read more)