🔗 Share this article Government Announces Subsidies for Rural Airline Service to Expire as Early as This Weekend Federal officials has announced that financial support from a US government program that supports commercial air service to remote airfields are scheduled to end as early as this weekend because of the current federal funding lapse. The US transportation department indicated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service initiative are expected to expire as early as this weekend after the agency transferred unrelated funding from the FAA as an advance. The department is currently notifying airline operators about the funding shortfall and informing local areas about possible impacts. The government allocates approximately $350 million in annual funding for the program. In recent months, the White House suggested reducing financial support by $308 million for the Essential Air Service, which enjoys popularity among GOP legislators because it offers connectivity to rural, largely Republican areas. Throughout the initial term of Donald Trump, the administration suggested terminating the Essential Air Service program – but Congress opted to increase funding instead. The program typically supports two round trips each day using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in the northern state receive service and 112 communities across the remaining states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity. “Every state across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief commented during a media briefing, observing the service had bipartisan support. “We lack the money for that initiative going forward.”