Overview

• USDOT advanced FAA money to keep the Essential Air Service running through this week, and officials now expect those temporary funds to run out by Sunday.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said small and rural communities nationwide would face cuts to subsidized flights, with Alaska identified as the largest beneficiary.
• The program maintains scheduled service to 177 markets through contracts with carriers including Southern, SkyWest, Cape Air, and JetBlue.
• NATCA President Nick Daniels joined Duffy in Newark to call for ending the shutdown as support staff at controller training facilities face potential furloughs and controllers report financial strain.
• Officials said the airspace remains safe and pledged to halt operations if safety is compromised, noting Congress bolstered EAS in the 2024 FAA reauthorization.