Government Announces Funding for Rural Airline Service to Expire as Soon as Sunday
Federal officials has announced that funds from a US government program that subsidizes airline routes to remote airfields are scheduled to end as early as this weekend due to the current federal funding lapse.
The US transportation department stated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service program are expected to expire as early as this weekend after the agency transferred unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an advance.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting carriers about the funding shortfall and informing local areas about possible impacts.
Federal authorities provides approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
In recent months, the White House suggested reducing financial support by $308 million for the air service program, which enjoys popularity among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to rural, largely Republican areas.
During the initial term of the former president, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service program – but Congress opted to increase financial support instead.
This initiative typically supports two return flights daily using medium-sized planes – or more frequent flights with smaller aircraft. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state receive service and 112 locations across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that likely wouldn't have any airline service.
“All states across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief stated during a press conference, observing the service had support from both parties. “We lack the money for that initiative going forward.”
