Government Announces Funding for Rural Airline Service to Expire as Soon as Sunday
The Trump administration has stated that funds from a federal initiative that subsidizes commercial air service to rural airports are scheduled to end as early as this weekend because of the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the agency transferred separate financial resources from the Federal Aviation Administration as an temporary measure.
Transportation officials is currently notifying carriers about the funding shortfall and informing communities about potential effects.
Federal authorities provides approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.
In recent months, the administration suggested reducing financial support by $308m for the air service program, which has support among Republican lawmakers 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 chose to boost financial support instead.
The program typically subsidizes two return flights daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller aircraft. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska have air access and 112 locations across the other 49 states and the territory that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.
“Every state nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation chief commented during a press conference, observing the service had bipartisan support. “We lack the funding for that program going forward.”
