Safford Regional Airport (SAD) lost its only commercial flight in September 2025, according to the aviation analytics company Cirium. The route connected Safford Regional with Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Arizona’s busiest hub.
- IATA Code
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PHX
- City
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Phoenix
- Designation
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Major-Domestic
The decision comes just nine months after the 144-mile route was launched. Safford airport manager Cameron Atkins told local news outlet The Arizona Republic that the service is ending due to a lack of funding.
Safford Cut Off From Arizona Gateway
The end of this regional flight will weaken connectivity between the rural city of Safford in Graham County and Arizona’s main gateway, 
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). For decades, Safford had no scheduled air service following airline deregulation in the 1970s, when carriers gained the freedom to choose their routes. As a result, airlines prioritized major city hubs over smaller rural destinations.
Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines began operating the route in January 2025 with two daily flights between the two destinations. The schedule was reduced to one daily service in August 2025 before flights ended entirely in mid-September 2025. During this period, the regional carrier offered a total of 2,640 seats, as per Cirium data. The regional airline has two aircraft types in its fleet, including Cessna and Vistaliner. The Arizona Republic found round-trip fares for the Safford to Phoenix route’s last days were $98. Commenting on the route cessation, Atkins told the local news outlet:
“Ultimately, we couldn’t stretch the funding far enough. Hopefully, this won’t be the end of airline service in Safford. We hope we’ll find a new funding source.”
$800,000 Gap Grounds Regional Air Service
The Arizona Republic report noted that an $800,000 grant from the US Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program, designed to help small towns improve air service and control airfare costs, could have kept the SAD to PHX route alive.
When Sky Harbor announced the route, it noted that Freeport McMoRan, Graham County’s largest employer, had offered grant funding. However, Safford Airport and Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines only discovered after the route began that Freeport McMoRan’s grant required the use of multi-engine aircraft. This conflicted with the nine-seat, single-engine planes used for flights between Safford and Phoenix, said Jake Tomlin, president and CEO of Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines, according to the Arizona Republic.
Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines has two aircraft types in its fleet, including Cessna and Vistaliner. The single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan can seat up to nine passengers and has a maximum takeoff weight of 8,000 lb. The Vistaliner is a modified version of the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprop, featuring large windows for sightseeing. It is mainly used for air tours, especially over the Grand Canyon, by operators such as Grand Canyon Airlines and Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines.
The Importance Of Regional Connectivity
While regional connectivity may seem small in terms of profits and appeal, it is vital for smaller communities that need better access to major economic hubs. Many towns and cities rely on regional air service to reach major airports, which in turn connect them to the national and global transportation network.
United States DOT programs like the Essential Air Service and the Small Community Air Service Development Program exist to support these routes, recognizing that private airlines often focus on profitable, high-traffic, international routes in larger cities.
Regional air service also helps maintain social and economic equity across the country. By linking less-populated areas to major hubs, it ensures that rural communities are not cut off from economic growth and national markets.
