March 28, 2026
Regional Airports: The Connectors of the Aviation Network
Regional airports handle millions of passengers on short-haul domestic routes, feeding traffic to major hubs. Without them, large parts of the US, Canada, and Australia would be effectively unreachable by air.
Regional airports sit in the middle of the aviation hierarchy — smaller than major international hubs but larger than general aviation strips. These mid-size airports are the workhorses of domestic aviation in large countries, connecting smaller cities to the major hubs that operate long-haul routes.
The hub-and-spoke model
Most major airlines organize their networks around hubs and spokes. A hub airport — like Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), or Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) — concentrates traffic from many regional airports, enabling efficient connections to international and cross-country destinations. Without regional airports feeding traffic into hubs, the hub model would not work.
Regional carriers
Most regional routes are operated by specialized regional carriers — SkyWest, Envoy, Republic, Horizon, and others — flying under the mainline airline's code (United Express, American Eagle, Delta Connection). This arrangement lets major airlines extend their network coverage without operating small aircraft on thin routes themselves.
Key regional airports
Some regional airports that serve as important connectors in their networks: