Government Announces Subsidies for Rural Airline Service to End as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has stated that funds from a US government program that subsidizes commercial air service to rural airports are set to expire as early as this weekend because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Federal transportation authorities indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department transferred unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an advance.
The department is currently notifying carriers about the financial gap and alerting local areas about possible impacts.
Federal authorities provides approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House suggested reducing financial support by $308m for the air service program, which has support among GOP legislators because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.
During the initial term of Donald Trump, the administration suggested terminating the Essential Air Service program – but Congress opted to increase financial support instead.
The program typically subsidizes two return flights each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state have air access and 112 locations across the other 49 states and the territory that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.
“All states across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation secretary commented during a media briefing, noting the program had bipartisan support. “We lack the funding for that program moving forward.”
