8 routes in the US airlines are severing in 2020, leaving no air link between the 2 cities

Mark Lennihan/AP

JetBlue's Terminal 6 at JFK Airport.

• Five airlines in the US have announced that they will be ceasing service on eight air routes with no carrier to take their places, severing the air link entirely.
• Among the airlines scaling back service with no replacements are JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines.
• Secondary cities throughout the country will be the most largely impacted.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Airlines frequently leave routes citing factors like unprofitability, lack of available aircraft, and better opportunities elsewhere.

Even seemingly popular routes can be dropped if the airline determines that the aircraft can be used more strategically in a different market.

Routes between major cities typically have more than one airline flying on them but routes to secondary cities may only have enough demand for one carrier to operate service. Those secondary routes to less profitable markets run the risk of disappearing completely should a network change be made by a major airline.

So far in 2020, five airlines have plans to cease service to cities on routes that will disappear once the service ends, severing air links completely with some airports losing commercial air service completely.

Take a look at which routes airlines will say goodbye to in 2020.