Government Announces Subsidies for Rural Airline Service to End as Soon as Sunday
The Trump administration has announced that funds from a US government program that subsidizes airline routes to rural airports are set to expire as early as this weekend due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department stated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as soon as Sunday after the department transferred separate financial resources from the Federal Aviation Administration as an temporary measure.
Transportation officials is currently notifying carriers about the funding shortfall and alerting communities about possible impacts.
The government allocates approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House proposed cutting financial support by $308m for the air service program, which enjoys popularity among GOP legislators because it offers connectivity to rural, largely Republican areas.
During the first presidency of Donald Trump, the administration suggested terminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers opted to increase financial support instead.
The program typically supports two return flights daily using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state have air access and 112 locations across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.
“All states across the country will be impacted,” the transportation chief commented during a media briefing, noting the service had support from both parties. “We lack the funding for that initiative moving forward.”
