- The federal essential air service program subsidizes airlines that serve low-traffic rural airports
- Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, essential air service funding is set to expire in early November
- Airlines providing essential air service said they would continue flying even if funding expires
Federal funding that subsidizes service to rural airports is set to expire in early November because of the ongoing government shutdown, but Michigan officials say flights will continue even if the money runs out — at least for now.
In the 2024 fiscal year, the federal government gave a collective nearly $55 million to airlines serving nine “essential air service” airports in Michigan. That subsidized a total of 22 flights per day and nearly 500 passenger seats from places like Muskegon, Alpena, Pellston and Sault Ste. Marie.
The government subsidizes airlines there because fares alone aren’t enough to make service profitable.
Because Congress has failed to enact a 2025 spending plan, the money subsidizing those airlines was set to expire Sunday, but US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said recently he’d secured an additional $41 million to keep the service going into early November.
Even beyond that point, the essential air service airlines plan to continue flying on the assumption they’ll be repaid once the shutdown ends, airport managers said.
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The current shutdown has lasted about two weeks so far. Tami Beseau, manager of the Sault Ste. Marie airport, noted that the last government shutdown in 2018-19 lasted 35 days, by far the longest in history, and the airport had no service interruption.
“Nothing changed,” Beseau said.
“We recognize the importance of our services in (essential air service) communities,” Tonya Ruhsenberger, spokesperson for Denver Air Connection, which services the Muskegon airport, said in an email to Bridge Michigan.
“Connectivity to major transportation hubs is necessary for economic growth and accessibility. In light of (the) funding lapse due to the shutdown, we will continue flying our normal scheduled flights to all of our destinations.”
Things could change during a prolonged shutdown.
This week, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said the shutdown could become the longest in history because Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on whether health care subsidies should be part of the spending plan.
If the shutdown runs too long, the airlines might consider canceling some of the less popular flights, Beseau said.
Jeff Mallory, airport manager in Pellston, said canceled flights could have ripple effects.
Airports could miss out on their own federal subsidies if they don’t sell enough tickets.
As well, many of the essential air service airports are in Up North communities where tourism is a major economic driver, and the loss of any inbound traffic could affect the bottom lines of businesses throughout the community.
“It’s a small community,” Mallory said. “The tourism is huge up here.”
While the airlines said they’ll continue flying, other aftershocks from the shutdown could disrupt flights.
Nationwide, flights have reported delays because hundreds of Transportation Security Administration employees have started calling in sick in anticipation of missing their first paycheck on Oct. 24.
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