US Says Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Soon as Sunday
The Trump administration has stated that financial support from a US government program that subsidizes commercial air service to remote airfields are set to expire as soon as Sunday due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Federal transportation authorities indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as soon as Sunday after the agency transferred unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting carriers about the financial gap and alerting local areas about possible impacts.
The government provides approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.
In recent months, the White House proposed cutting financial support by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which has support among GOP legislators because it offers connectivity to predominantly Republican rural regions.
During the first presidency of Donald Trump, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service program – but lawmakers chose to boost financial support instead.
The program typically supports two round trips each day using medium-sized planes – or more frequent flights with smaller aircraft. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state have air access and 112 locations across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that likely wouldn't have any commercial air connectivity.
“Every state across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief commented during a press conference, noting the program had support from both parties. “We lack the money for that initiative moving forward.”