FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD)- The government is making American Airline put the brakes on plans to drop service to a handful of smaller markets.
The Fort Worth based airline, like other airlines, is hemorrhaging money because of the ongoing pandemic.
It announced last week it was dropping service to 15 small markets. But, the Department of Transportation hasn't signed off on dropping service to Sioux City, Iowa, Joplin, Missouri and Roswell, New Mexico.
Those cities are considered essential air service cities as part of the deregulation agreement worked out in 1978.
The federal government provides subsides to those cities to help guarantee a minimum level of air service.
In fact, in Roswell, American is the only airline available. American is asking the government for permission to drop those routes, unless the government is able to provide more bail out money.
