Government Announces Funding for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Early as This Weekend
The Trump administration has announced that financial support from a federal initiative 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 stated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as early as this weekend after the agency moved separate financial resources from the FAA as an advance.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting airline operators about the funding shortfall and informing local areas about potential effects.
The government allocates approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House suggested reducing financial support by $308m 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 the former president, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service program – but lawmakers chose to boost financial support instead.
This initiative typically supports two return flights daily using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state receive service and 112 communities across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that likely wouldn't have any commercial air connectivity.
“Every state nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation chief commented during a press conference, noting the program had support from both parties. “We don't have the money for that initiative going forward.”
