US Says Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Early as This Weekend

Federal officials has announced that financial support from a US government program that supports commercial air service to remote airfields are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday because of the current federal funding lapse.

Federal transportation authorities indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance.

The department is in the process of alerting airline operators about the financial gap and informing local areas about possible impacts.

The government provides approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.

Earlier this year, the White House suggested reducing financial support by $308m for the air service program, 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 program – but lawmakers chose to boost funding instead.

This initiative typically supports two round trips daily using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska have air access and 112 locations across the remaining states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.

“All states across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief commented during a press conference, noting the service had support from both parties. “We don't have the money for that initiative moving forward.”