US Says Funding for Rural Airline Service to End as Soon as Sunday
Federal officials has stated that funds from a federal initiative that supports airline routes to remote airfields are scheduled to end as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse.
Federal transportation authorities stated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the agency transferred separate financial resources from the Federal Aviation Administration as an temporary measure.
The department is in the process of alerting carriers about the financial gap and alerting communities about potential effects.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the administration proposed cutting financial support by $308m for the air service program, which has support among GOP legislators because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions.
Throughout the first presidency of Donald Trump, the administration suggested terminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers chose to boost financial support instead.
The program 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 communities in Alaska receive service and 112 communities across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.
“All states across the country will be impacted,” the transportation chief stated during a press conference, noting the program had bipartisan support. “We lack the money for that program moving forward.”
