🔗 Share this article Government Announces Funding for Rural Airline Service to End as Soon as Sunday Federal officials has stated that funds from a federal initiative that subsidizes airline routes to remote airfields are scheduled to end as early as this weekend due to 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 department transferred unrelated funding from the Federal Aviation Administration as an temporary measure. The department is in the process of alerting airline operators about the financial gap and alerting communities about potential effects. Federal authorities provides approximately $350 million in yearly financial support for the program. Earlier this year, the administration suggested reducing financial support by $308m for the Essential Air Service, which has support among Republican lawmakers because it provides services to predominantly Republican rural regions. During the first presidency of Donald Trump, the administration proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service initiative – but lawmakers chose to boost funding instead. This initiative typically subsidizes two round trips daily using medium-sized planes – or more frequent flights with smaller aircraft. According to the department that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state receive service and 112 locations across the other 49 states and the territory that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity. “All states nationwide will feel the effects,” the transportation secretary commented during a media briefing, observing the program had support from both parties. “We lack the money for that program moving forward.”