🔗 Share this article Government Announces Subsidies for Air Service to Rural Areas to End as Soon as Sunday The Trump administration has stated that funds from a federal initiative that subsidizes airline routes to remote airfields are set to expire as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse. Federal transportation authorities indicated that subsidies under the Essential Air Service initiative are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the department transferred separate financial resources from the FAA as an advance. The department is currently notifying airline operators about the financial gap and alerting communities about possible impacts. The government allocates approximately $350m 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. Throughout the first presidency of Donald Trump, the White House suggested terminating the Essential Air Service program – but lawmakers chose to boost funding instead. This initiative typically subsidizes two return flights each day using medium-sized planes – or more frequent flights with smaller aircraft. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 areas in the northern state receive service and 112 locations across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that likely wouldn't have any commercial air connectivity. “Every state across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation chief commented during a media briefing, observing the program had bipartisan support. “We lack the funding for that initiative going forward.”