SEE RELATED STORY: Hays faces loss of federal airport funds
I work at Hays Regional Airport, and I’m proud of it. But I’m also deeply concerned because the federal funding that keeps our airport operational is under threat, and not enough people are talking about it.
Small airports like ours are often taken for granted by those in power. They’re dismissed as luxuries or “non-essential” in the grand scheme of federal spending. That’s a dangerous and misguided view. Hays Regional Airport is not a luxury, it is an essential infrastructure. Its existence supports commercial air service, emergency medical flights, mail and cargo delivery, and economic activity across our region. It provides so much more than people realize and is a staple for the community to work.
Federal funding doesn’t just keep the lights on. It pays for critical infrastructure upkeep, runway repairs, snow and ice removal, safety, and communications systems. It ensures we have trained staff and emergency preparedness. Most importantly, it keeps the Essential Air Service (EAS) program running, which is the only reason we have regular commercial flights in and out of Hays. Without EAS funding, our airport would likely lose its airline service altogether, cutting us off from the rest of the country. Cutting jobs and putting livelihoods, including mine, at risk.
This isn’t just about convenience. If we lose flights in Hays, it means longer drives for medical appointments, fewer options for students and professionals traveling for school and work, and real consequences for local businesses that rely on air connections. It means losing jobs, not just at the airport, but in all the industries that benefit from it. The hospital and the college rely on our air services.
It also sends a message that rural communities like Hays don’t matter.
We’ve seen time and again how rural Kansas gets overlooked by policymakers until it’s time to campaign. We hear a lot about “supporting rural America,” but when push comes to shove, too many of our leaders are silent when federal support is pulled away from critical services in towns like ours. That silence speaks volumes. Are we great again yet? No, because this isn't about helping small rural America be great.
Let me be clear. Defunding our airport is not a budget cut. It’s a betrayal.
If you care about Hays and the future of our region, I urge you to speak up! Call your representatives. Write letters and emails. Demand answers. Our airport is too important to let it quietly disappear under the weight of political indifference.
We deserve better. Hays deserves better. And it’s time we all made that known loud and clear!
— Joy Marok-Schmeidler, resident of Hays and an employee at Hays Regional Airport