October 7, 2014 | Kendall Creighton Nearly three dozen midsize airports saw a quarter of their flights cut in the past 5 years -in such places as Milwaukee, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and San Antonio. A group of 76 small airports lost 20 percent of their pre-2007 flights. And 23 airports lost all their air service. Airfares continue to rise, up nearly 12 percent since 2009, according to an Associated Press analysis. With four airlines now serving 85 percent of the domestic market, domestic carriers haven’t had to worry about the one factor that could disrupt their cram-’em-in strategy: competition. That is, until now. The summer of 2014 marked a new chapter in the development of the global passenger air travel market. Only a few media sources including FlyersRights covered Norwegian Air Shuttle’s ambitious launching of international air service to the U.S. Back in July, Norwegian launched flights from London Gatwick to three USA-based destinations with some tickets starting at $300, or approximately half the price of traditional carriers.