As the federal shutdown drags on and Trump’s Department of Transportation prepares airlines to “walk away,” the fate of the Essential Air Service program is suddenly in serious jeopardy.

As Washington Feuds, Small-Town Airports Face Extinction – Is The End Of Essential Air Service Coming?

Because of the ongoing shutdown, the U.S. Department of Transportation has warned that EAS subsidies could expire as early as this coming Sunday. Reuters reports that DOT has already dipped into FAA funds in advance to keep the program alive, but those reserves are nearly exhausted.

Meanwhile, DOT has issued a notice to airlines that, beginning October 13, it will no longer guarantee subsidy payments under EAS contracts if funding isn’t restored. Carriers operating EAS flights beyond that date may face nonpayment or contract relief, meaning they fly at risk.

If the department is unable to pay EAS carrier subsidies beyond October 12, 2025, by this Notice, we will relieve all EAS carreirs of their obligations under all EAS orders beginning on October 13, 2025, until such time as funding is restored. Air carriers that continue to operate EAS flights beyond October 12, 2025, would do so at their own risk as the Department may not be able to pay the contracted subsidy.

View From The Wing notes that dozens of small town airports could see service cut if carriers walk away. Many communities, especially in Alaska, depend entirely on EAS for connectivity. The program currently supports roughly 177 communities nationwide, with annual funding of about $350 million. Toughly 65 Alaska communities and 112 in the contiguous U.S. and territories rely on it.

This program is beloved by members of Congress who can boast about bringing air service to their districts, but maybe it’s time to rethink this entire program altogether. And as the Trump administration tries to reorient federal spending, could we see this program die altogether?

Arguments For Letting EAS Die

I count at least four arguments for letting EAS die as a consequence of the current federal government shutdown:

• Cost control: The program is expensive per passenger and often subsidizes near-empty flights. Is it really necessary?
• Market discipline: Some argue that pushing markets to evolve rather than rely on subsidies forces more efficient service or alternative transport options. Yes, people will have to drive farther, but is that actually the better alternative?
• Redundancy: With improved regional air networks and infrastructure, some small communities may already have viable alternatives by ground transport.
• Political leverage: Who benefits from EAS? It is just the political leaders and the very few who use it versus the communites at large?

Arguments For Saving EAS

But there are fairly strong arguments for saving EAS as well:

• Essential lifeline for remote communities: Many towns in Alaska and some in the contiguous USA lack viable roads or winter access; air service is the only realistic connection to the outside world.
• Economic impact: Loss of EAS can isolate communities, reduce commerce, deter investment, and harm local businesses (the story is more complex than just whether flights are full).
• Bipartisan support: Historically, EAS has had support across both parties, especially in rural states that vote Republican, even those pushing cuts now.
• Reputation risk: Letting the program collapse during a shutdown may damage the credibility of DOT and the federal commitment to rural America.

I’m Somewhat Conflicted Over This…

I am admittedly ambivalent about the need for EAS. I think subsidizing service to tiny communities is probably money that could be better spent elsewhere, especially in places where viable air transport exists within 100 miles. Even so, I recognize there is something American about EAS…the idea, like USPS’s rural free delivery program, that we are all Americans and that a well-connected nation not only helps economic growth, but fuels unity.

We might not be at 1860 yet, and I’m too young to remember the Vietnam years, but never in my life have I seen such disunity, with division exponentially magnified thanks to echo chambers on social media and cable news. I do wonder whether we are seeing this country collapse before our eyes, not in a sudden breakup, but like the fall of the Roman Empire.

CONCLUSION

The government shutdown may indeed kill the Essential Air Service program, not through a grand reform, but through neglect, nonpayment, and fear of risk. That would leave dozens of small airports dark, further disconnect rural America, and tarnish the promise that federal service extends beyond big cities.

While there are strong arguments for ending this service altogether, it still strikes me as a program that has a far greater impact on national unity than tepid flight loads may suggest.