Government Announces Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to Expire as Soon as Sunday
Federal officials has stated that funds from a US government program that supports airline routes to remote airfields are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department stated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department moved unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an advance.
The department is currently notifying airline operators about the funding shortfall and alerting local areas about potential effects.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the administration proposed cutting financial support by $308m for the Essential Air Service, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it offers connectivity to rural, largely Republican areas.
During the first presidency of the former president, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but Congress chose to boost funding instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two round trips daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state receive service and 112 communities across the remaining states and the territory 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 lack the money for that program moving forward.”
