US Says Funding for Rural Airline Service to Expire as Soon as Sunday
The Trump administration has stated that financial support from a US government program that supports commercial air service to rural airports are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday because of the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as early as this weekend after the department transferred unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an temporary measure.
The department is currently notifying airline operators about the financial gap and alerting local areas about possible impacts.
The government provides approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.
Earlier this year, the administration suggested reducing financial support by $308 million for the air service program, which enjoys popularity among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.
Throughout the first presidency of the former president, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers opted to increase funding instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two round trips daily using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller aircraft. 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 otherwise might not receive any airline service.
“Every state nationwide will feel the effects,” the transportation secretary commented during a media briefing, noting the service had bipartisan support. “We lack the money for that program moving forward.”
