The U.S. Department of Transportation has secured $41 million in additional funding for the Essential Air Service program, which was set to run out of money by Oct. 12 because of the federal government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, the agency announced Wednesday. The additional funds "should prevent the program from lapsing into early November," according to DOT.
EAS serves rural communities with subsidies to airlines to operate routes that typically are not profitable. Alaska is one of the largest benefactors of the program, and Alaska Airlines earlier this week had announced that it would continue to operate those flights despite not receiving reimbursements if the shutdown continues, according to an Alaska News Source report.
Should the shutdown continue and funding lapse, DOT will suspend both the contractual obligations of the air carriers providing EAS and reimbursements until funding is restored and full budgetary authority is reinstated, according to the agency.
RELATED: Uptick in Air Traffic Controller Absences Reported