Government Announces Funding for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Soon as Sunday
Federal officials has stated that financial support from a US government program that supports airline routes to rural airports are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The US transportation department indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as early as this weekend after the department moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting carriers about the financial gap and informing local areas about potential effects.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House proposed cutting financial support by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which has support among GOP legislators because it offers connectivity to predominantly Republican rural regions.
During the first presidency of Donald Trump, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but Congress chose to boost funding instead.
The program typically subsidizes two round trips daily using medium-sized planes – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state have air access and 112 communities across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any airline service.
“All states nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation secretary commented during a press conference, observing the program had bipartisan support. “We don't have the funding for that initiative going forward.”
