US Says 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 remote airfields are set to expire as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department stated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are expected to expire as soon as Sunday after the agency moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an temporary measure.
The department is currently notifying airline operators about the funding shortfall and alerting local areas about potential effects.
The government provides approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House proposed cutting financial support by $308m for the air service program, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to rural, largely Republican areas.
Throughout the first presidency of Donald Trump, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service program – but lawmakers chose to boost funding instead.
This initiative typically supports two return flights daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller aircraft. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state have air access and 112 communities across the remaining states and Puerto Rico that likely wouldn't have any airline service.
“All states across the country will be impacted,” the transportation chief stated during a press conference, noting the service had bipartisan support. “We don't have the funding for that program going forward.”