Government Announces Funding for Rural Airline Service to Expire as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has announced that funds from a US government program that subsidizes commercial air service to remote airfields are set to expire as early as this weekend because of the ongoing government shutdown.
The US transportation department indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are expected to expire as soon as Sunday after the department moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance.
Transportation officials is currently notifying airline operators about the funding shortfall and alerting communities about possible impacts.
The government provides approximately $350 million in annual funding for the program.
Earlier this year, the administration suggested reducing funding by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which enjoys popularity among GOP legislators because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.
Throughout the first presidency of Donald Trump, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but Congress opted to increase financial support instead.
The program typically subsidizes two round trips daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska receive service and 112 communities across the other 49 states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any commercial air connectivity.
“All states across the country will be impacted,” the transportation chief stated during a press conference, noting the service had support from both parties. “We don't have the funding for that initiative going forward.”
