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Regional airports, typically defined as those handling a small fraction of the passenger traffic of major hubs, occupy an uncertain position in national transport policy. Proponents argue they provide essential connectivity for remote communities where road or rail travel is impractical, and that closing them would isolate residents from medical, educational, and business opportunities elsewhere. Critics counter that many regional airports operate at a persistent financial loss, surviving only through government subsidy, and that the environmental cost of maintaining low-occupancy flights is difficult to justify as aviation emissions face growing scrutiny. Some transport economists propose a middle path: consolidating subsidies toward a smaller number of well-connected regional hubs rather than spreading limited public funds across every small airfield, though local politicians often resist such consolidation on the grounds that it disadvantages their specific constituency.