Government Announces Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has announced that funds from a federal initiative that subsidizes airline routes to rural airports are scheduled to end as early as this weekend due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department moved separate financial resources from the FAA as an advance.
The department is currently notifying airline operators about the financial gap and alerting local areas about potential effects.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the White House suggested reducing funding by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which has support among Republican lawmakers 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 chose to boost financial support instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two return flights each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state have air access and 112 locations across the remaining states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any airline service.
“All states nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation chief commented during a press conference, observing the program had bipartisan support. “We don't have the money for that program going forward.”
