Government Announces Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has stated that funds from a US government program that supports airline routes to rural airports are set to expire as soon as Sunday because of the current federal funding lapse.
Federal transportation authorities indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as early as this weekend after the agency transferred separate financial resources from the FAA as an temporary measure.
The department is in the process of alerting airline operators about the financial gap and alerting communities about possible impacts.
The government allocates approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the White House proposed cutting financial support by $308 million for the air service program, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.
During the first presidency of Donald Trump, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers chose to boost financial support instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two round trips each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller aircraft. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state have air access and 112 locations across the remaining states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.
“Every state nationwide will feel the effects,” the transportation secretary stated during a press conference, observing the service had support from both parties. “We lack the funding for that initiative going forward.”
