US Says Funding for Air Service to Rural Areas to Expire as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has stated that financial support from a federal initiative that supports commercial air service to rural airports are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as early as this weekend after the department transferred unrelated funding from the FAA as an temporary measure.
The department is currently notifying airline operators about the financial gap and alerting communities about potential effects.
The government allocates approximately $350 million in annual funding for the program.
Earlier this year, the administration suggested reducing financial support by $308m for the air service program, which enjoys popularity among GOP legislators because it provides services to rural, largely Republican areas.
During the first presidency of the former president, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers opted to increase financial support instead.
The program typically subsidizes two return flights daily using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller aircraft. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska have air access 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 commented during a media briefing, noting the service had bipartisan support. “We don't have the funding for that initiative going forward.”
