Overview

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the emergency $41 million will sustain the Essential Air Service program into early November, after DOT warned payments could lapse after October 12.
• EAS supports nearly 180 communities nationwide by subsidizing flights that would otherwise be commercially unviable.
• Bangor Daily News reports that Maine’s four EAS airports—Presque Isle, Augusta, Bar Harbor and Knox County—expect flights to continue under the extension.
• Presque Isle International receives the program’s largest subsidy, with JetBlue paid more than $11.2 million annually for Boston service, while Cape Air earns roughly $3.2–$3.7 million per airport at the other Maine fields.
• Local airport leaders and carriers say schedules will continue for now, though the funding is temporary and long-term continuity depends on resolving the shutdown.