When Delta Airlines announced in 2009 that they were ending service to Memphis from Paducah, it potentially signaled the end of commercial air service in Paducah.The saving grace for Barkley came in the form of a Department of Transportation (DOT) program, called the Essential Air Service Program (EAS). This program, in place since 1978 was started in an effort to make sure small communities were still able to have commercial airline service.