Government Announces Subsidies for Rural Airline Service to Expire as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has stated that financial support from a US government program that supports commercial air service to rural airports are set to expire as early as this weekend due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Federal transportation authorities indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as early as this weekend after the agency moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting airline operators about the financial gap and alerting local areas about possible impacts.
Federal authorities provides approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House suggested reducing funding by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.
Throughout the first presidency of Donald Trump, the administration suggested terminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers chose to boost funding instead.
The program typically subsidizes two round trips each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska have air access and 112 locations across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any airline service.
“All states nationwide will feel the effects,” the transportation chief commented during a press conference, noting the service had bipartisan support. “We lack the money for that program moving forward.”
