US Says Funding for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has stated that financial support from a federal initiative that subsidizes commercial air service to rural airports are set to expire as early as this weekend because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Federal transportation authorities stated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department transferred unrelated funding from the FAA as an temporary measure.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting carriers about the financial gap and informing local areas about potential effects.
Federal authorities provides approximately $350 million in annual funding for the program.
In recent months, the administration proposed cutting financial support by $308m for the Essential Air Service, which enjoys popularity among GOP legislators because it offers connectivity to predominantly Republican rural regions.
Throughout the first presidency of Donald Trump, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but Congress opted to increase financial support instead.
This initiative typically supports two round trips each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska receive service and 112 locations across the remaining states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any airline service.
“Every state nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation secretary stated during a media briefing, observing the program had support from both parties. “We don't have the money for that initiative moving forward.”