Government Announces Subsidies for Rural Airline Service to End as Soon as Sunday
Federal officials has announced that funds from a US government program that supports commercial air service to rural airports are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as soon as Sunday after the department transferred separate financial resources from the Federal Aviation Administration as an advance.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting carriers about the funding shortfall and informing communities about potential effects.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the White House proposed cutting funding by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which has support among GOP legislators because it provides services to rural, largely Republican areas.
Throughout the initial term of Donald Trump, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but Congress opted to increase funding instead.
The program typically supports two return flights each day using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state receive service and 112 locations across the other 49 states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any commercial air connectivity.
“Every state across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief commented during a media briefing, noting the program had bipartisan support. “We lack the funding for that program going forward.”
