Government Announces Funding for Rural Airline Service to End as Soon as Sunday
Federal officials has announced that financial support from a US government program that subsidizes commercial air service to rural airports are scheduled to end as early as this weekend because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Federal transportation authorities indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department moved unrelated funding from the FAA as an temporary measure.
Transportation officials is in the process of alerting airline operators about the financial gap and alerting communities about potential effects.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program.
Earlier this year, the White House proposed cutting funding by $308m for the air service program, which has support among GOP legislators 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 lawmakers opted to increase funding instead.
This initiative typically supports two return flights each day using medium-sized planes – or more frequent flights 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 remaining states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any commercial air connectivity.
“All states across the country will be impacted,” the transportation secretary commented during a media briefing, observing the program had support from both parties. “We don't have the funding for that program going forward.”
