US Says Funding for Rural Airline Service to End as Soon as Sunday
The Trump administration has announced that funds from a US government program that subsidizes commercial air service to rural airports are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Federal transportation authorities stated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department moved unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an advance.
Transportation officials is currently notifying airline operators about the funding shortfall and informing communities about potential effects.
The government provides approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the White House proposed cutting funding by $308 million for the air service program, which has support among GOP legislators because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.
Throughout the first presidency of the former president, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers opted to increase funding instead.
The program typically supports two return flights each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 areas in Alaska receive service and 112 communities across the remaining states and Puerto Rico that likely wouldn't have any airline service.
“Every state nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation secretary stated during a press conference, noting the service had bipartisan support. “We don't have the funding for that initiative going forward.”
