US Says Funding for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Early as This Weekend
Federal officials has stated that funds from a US government program that supports airline routes to remote airfields are set to expire as soon as Sunday because of the ongoing government shutdown.
The US transportation department indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department moved 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 White House suggested reducing financial support by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which enjoys popularity among Republican lawmakers because it offers connectivity to rural, largely Republican areas.
Throughout the initial term of Donald Trump, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers opted to increase financial support instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two return flights each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller aircraft. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska have air access and 112 locations across the other 49 states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any airline service.
“Every state across the country will be impacted,” the transportation chief stated during a media briefing, noting the program had bipartisan support. “We don't have the money for that program moving forward.”
