Government Announces Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to Expire as Early as This Weekend
Federal officials has announced that financial support from a federal initiative that subsidizes airline routes to rural airports are scheduled to end 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 expected to expire as early as this weekend after the agency transferred separate financial resources from the Federal Aviation Administration as an advance.
Transportation officials is currently notifying airline operators about the funding shortfall and alerting communities about potential effects.
Federal authorities allocates approximately $350m in yearly financial support for the program.
Earlier this year, the administration suggested reducing financial support by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which enjoys popularity among GOP legislators because it provides services to rural, largely Republican areas.
Throughout the first presidency of the former president, the White House suggested terminating the Essential Air Service program – but Congress opted to increase financial support instead.
This initiative typically subsidizes two round trips daily using medium-sized planes – or more frequent flights with smaller aircraft. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state have air access and 112 communities across the other 49 states and the territory that likely wouldn't have any commercial air connectivity.
“Every state nationwide will feel the effects,” the transportation chief commented during a media briefing, noting the service had bipartisan support. “We lack the funding for that program moving forward.”
