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

Federal officials has stated that funds from a federal initiative that subsidizes commercial air service to remote airfields are set to expire as early as this weekend due to the ongoing government shutdown.

The US transportation department indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are expected to expire as soon as Sunday after the department moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance.

The department is in the process of alerting airline operators about the funding shortfall and alerting local areas about possible impacts.

The government allocates approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.

In recent months, the White House proposed cutting funding 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 administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – 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 Alaska receive service and 112 communities across the remaining states and the territory that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.

“All states across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief stated during a media briefing, observing the service had bipartisan support. “We lack the funding for that initiative moving forward.”