Salem 350 OR strongly opposes the proposal to start-up commercial air service at the Salem Airport in 2023 for the following reasons:
1. Air service has failed every time it has been tried since United Airlines service ceased in 1980. Delta Airlines service failed after 16 months in 2008 and Seaport Airlines service failed in 2011 after three months. In each case airline occupancy fell short of that needed to make the service profitable for the airlines.[1]
2. Air service would require a minimum of $6 million in improvements to the terminal building. Even with these minimal improvements the terminal would not be able to accommodate all incoming and outgoing passengers for arriving flights at one time.[2]
3. Air service operations would need to be heavily subsidized by property taxpayers. City staff estimates having to hire 8.5 FTE to staff initial service at four flights per week at a cost of $1.4 million per year.[3]
4. Air service subsidies would be required for at least the next two decades. Even assuming the service grows to 16 flights per week, City staff estimates the subsidy of $1.1 million would be required in year 20.[4]
5. Air service does not pass an “equity lens” test. 32% of persons in US households with income under $40,000 have never taken a commercial airline flight (that income group is about 40% of Salem residents). 92% of persons in US households with incomes over $80,000 (about 28% of people in Salem are in this income group) are occasional or frequent flyers. It is not equitable for lower and middle income Salem residents to subsidize higher income flyers. [5]
6. Subsidizing Salem air service does not pass a “climate lens” test. Airline travel is the most carbon emitting form of transportation by far. For example, two people traveling from Portland to San Francisco would be responsible for emitting 116 kg per person of carbon traveling by plane, 70 kg by car and 28 kg by train or bus.[6] As more transportation by car or bus is electrified the difference will grow. In contrast all low carbon air fuels face very serious technical challenges.
Sources
[1] https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2022/12/20/commercial-air-service-flights-mcnary-field-airport-salem-oregon/69654624007/
[2] https://salem.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5866417&GUID=ADE6EC6E-CF8A-4C99-A116-A5504AE7466E
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] https://www.statista.com/statistics/316376/air-travel-frequency-us-by-income/#statisticContainer
[6] https://travelandclimate.org