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

The Trump administration has stated that funds from a federal initiative that subsidizes 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 stated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department transferred unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an temporary measure.

The department is in the process of alerting airline operators about the funding shortfall and informing local areas about potential effects.

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

In recent months, the administration proposed cutting financial support by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which enjoys popularity among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.

Throughout the initial term of Donald Trump, the administration suggested terminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers chose to boost financial support instead.

This initiative typically supports two return flights daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 areas in Alaska have air access and 112 communities across the remaining states and Puerto Rico that likely wouldn't have any airline service.

“All states nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation secretary stated during a media briefing, observing the program had bipartisan support. “We lack the money for that program going forward.”