A group of well-heeled business interests is trying to convince the Salem City Council to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize the resumption of commercial air service in Salem.

This is not the first time Salem has tried this. United Airlines pulled out of Salem in 1980 after failing to sell enough tickets. The same thing happened with Delta Airlines in 2008 and again with a smaller airline in 2011. Salem is a three-time loser, so why can't we learn from that?

Commercial air service is not needed here. Salem is only 75-90 minutes away from the Portland International Airport. An airport shuttle service makes 17 departures a day at a reasonable cost.

Initially there would only be, at most, four flights a week from Salem to destinations in California and Nevada. But to accommodate this, the City would need to hire 9 FTE staff at a cost of $1.3 million per year and make minimum improvements to the small Salem terminal costing $1.9 million.

The City estimates total annual cost of $2.37 million in Year 1 for four to eight flights per week. By Year 6, even assuming 16 flights per week, the subsidy would still be $721,000 per year. The cost would have to be borne by homeowners with their property taxes and by renters with increased rent costs.

Commercial air service in Salem 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 would be about 40% of Salem residents). 92% of persons in US households with incomes over $80,000 (about 28% of people in Salem) are occasional or frequent flyers. It is not equitable for lower and middle income Salem residents who may never fly or seldom fly to have to subsidize occasional and frequent flyers.

Commercial air service in Salem 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. When most transportation by car or bus is electrified in the coming years the difference will be even greater.

The Salem City Council has set a goal of cutting our carbon emissions in half by 2035 and reaching "net zero" emissions by 2050. If they are serious about reaching these goals, and about not placing an inequitable burden on taxpayers and renters, they will reject the plan for commercial air service in Salem.