Government Announces Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to Expire as Soon as Sunday
Federal officials has announced that financial support from a US government program that subsidizes commercial air service to remote airfields are scheduled to end as early as this weekend due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The US transportation department stated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the agency transferred unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an advance.
The department is currently notifying airline operators about the financial gap and informing communities about possible impacts.
The government provides approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.
In recent months, the administration suggested reducing financial support by $308 million for the air service program, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it offers connectivity to predominantly Republican rural regions.
Throughout the initial term of the former president, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers opted to increase funding instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two round trips daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. 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 otherwise might not receive any airline service.
“Every state nationwide will feel the effects,” the transportation chief stated during a media briefing, observing the program had support from both parties. “We don't have the funding for that program going forward.”
