Government Announces Funding for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Early as This Weekend
Federal officials has stated that financial support from a federal initiative that supports commercial air service to remote airfields are set to expire as early as this weekend due to the current federal funding lapse.
Federal transportation authorities stated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as soon as Sunday after the department moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting airline operators about the funding shortfall and alerting local areas about possible impacts.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the White House suggested reducing funding by $308m for the air service program, which enjoys popularity among Republican lawmakers because it offers connectivity to rural, largely Republican areas.
Throughout the initial term of Donald Trump, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers opted to increase financial support instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two round trips each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state receive service and 112 communities across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any airline service.
“Every state nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation chief commented during a press conference, noting the program had bipartisan support. “We don't have the funding for that initiative moving forward.”