As airlines evaluate cutbacks nationwide to cope with higher fuel prices, the Madison area should do what it can to save its service at the Dane County Regional Airport.

The best thing the area can do is: Use the airport.

The Madison area has a history of "leakage, " a term applying to passengers who bypass the local airport to fly from airports in other cities.

In 2006, the most recent year for which data are available, 41 percent of Madison area passengers bypassed the Dane County airport to depart from somewhere else.

In cases where fares and schedules give clear advantage to airports in cities such as Milwaukee and Chicago, travelers cannot be blamed for leaking.

But the area cannot expect to retain and expand service if travel volume fails to justify the improvements.

Businesses scheduling corporate travel, as well as vacationers, should make certain they are fully evaluating the costs of driving to another airport, especially with gas approaching $4 a gallon, and related costs, including parking. And travelers should weigh the convenience of flying from the Dane County airport.

At stake are the long-term benefits to the local economy of maintaining -- and expanding -- local air service.

Times have turned tough in the airline industry as jet fuel prices have skyrocketed. American Airlines this week announced plans to cut capacity by 11 percent to 12 percent later this year. The airline did not say which airports would be affected.

Two potential airline mergers prompted by the tougher times are not expected to have an immediate impact on the Dane County airport. But they highlight the uncertainty of the prospects.

Neither the proposed Northwest-Delta merger nor the United-US Airways merger under consideration is projected to curtail service at Madison. But Northwest and Delta executives have warned that if fuel prices continue to rise, all bets are off.

Madison may have an advantage because of its relatively robust economy. However, the number of passengers leaving from Madison so far this year is down 4.6 percent, no better than an average performance.

A campaign to improve service from the Dane County airport has enjoyed remarkable success in recent years. Airlines have added nonstop flights to Dallas, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New York and Kansas City since 2005.

In the current market, the goal must be more modest -- to maintain service. The more travelers fill the airlines ' seats, the more likely it is Madison can meet that goal.