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

Federal officials has stated that funds from a US government program that supports commercial air service to rural airports are set to expire as early as this weekend due to the current federal funding lapse.

The US transportation department stated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department transferred unrelated funding from the FAA as an temporary measure.

The department is currently notifying carriers about the financial gap and alerting communities about possible impacts.

The government allocates approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.

In recent months, the White House proposed cutting funding by $308m for the air service program, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it offers connectivity to rural, largely Republican areas.

Throughout the initial term of the former president, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service program – but lawmakers opted to increase financial support instead.

This initiative typically supports two return flights daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or additional frequencies with smaller planes. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 areas in Alaska have air access and 112 communities across the remaining states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any airline service.

“Every state across the country will be impacted,” the transportation secretary stated during a media briefing, noting the program had bipartisan support. “We lack the money for that program moving forward.”