Government Announces Funding for Rural Airline Service to End as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has announced that funds from a US government program that subsidizes airline routes to remote airfields are set to expire as early as this weekend because of the current federal funding lapse.
Federal transportation authorities indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as early as this weekend after the department moved separate financial resources from the FAA as an temporary measure.
The department is in the process of alerting carriers about the financial gap and alerting local areas about possible impacts.
The government allocates approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House proposed cutting funding by $308m for the Essential Air Service, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to rural, largely Republican areas.
Throughout the initial term of the former president, the White House suggested terminating the Essential Air Service program – but Congress chose to boost funding instead.
The program typically supports two round trips each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller aircraft. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state have air access and 112 communities across the other 49 states and the territory that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.
“Every state nationwide will feel the effects,” the transportation chief stated during a media briefing, noting the service had support from both parties. “We lack the funding for that initiative going forward.”
