Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Read the passage and select ALL correct options. Wrong selections lose points.

Regional airports, once seen as gateways to prosperity for smaller towns, are struggling across much of the developed world. Many were built decades ago with public subsidies on the promise of connecting isolated communities to national and global markets. However, low passenger volumes mean airlines often withdraw routes within a year or two of launching them, leaving terminals underused. Maintenance costs, meanwhile, do not shrink in proportion to falling traffic; runways still need resurfacing and security staff still need paying regardless of passenger numbers. Some local governments have responded by converting unused terminal space into logistics hubs or flight-training schools, generating revenue that does not depend on ticket sales. Others have simply closed, arguing that coach and rail links can serve the same communities more cheaply.