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

The Trump administration has announced that financial support from a US government program that subsidizes commercial air service to remote airfields are set to expire as soon as Sunday due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Federal transportation authorities indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the agency moved separate financial resources from the FAA as an advance.

The department is currently notifying carriers about the funding shortfall and informing local areas about potential effects.

Federal authorities provides approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.

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

During the first presidency of Donald Trump, the White House suggested terminating the Essential Air Service program – but Congress opted to increase funding instead.

This initiative typically supports two round trips daily using medium-sized planes – or additional frequencies with smaller aircraft. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state have air access and 112 communities across the remaining states and the territory that otherwise might not receive any airline service.

“All states nationwide will be impacted,” the transportation secretary commented during a media briefing, noting the service had support from both parties. “We don't have the money for that initiative moving forward.”