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The Trump administration has stated that financial support from a US government program that subsidizes airline routes to remote airfields are set to expire as soon as Sunday due to the current federal funding lapse.

The US transportation department stated that financial assistance under the Essential Air Service program are likely to end as soon as Sunday after the agency transferred separate financial resources from the FAA as an advance.

Transportation officials is currently notifying airline operators about the financial gap and alerting local areas about possible impacts.

Federal authorities allocates approximately $350m in annual funding for the program.

In recent months, the White House proposed cutting financial support by $308m for the air service program, which has support among GOP legislators because it offers connectivity to rural, largely Republican areas.

Throughout the first presidency of Donald Trump, the White House proposed eliminating the Essential Air Service program – but Congress opted to increase funding instead.

This initiative typically subsidizes two return flights daily using 30- to 50-seat aircraft – or more frequent flights with smaller planes. Officials report that under the program, approximately 65 communities in Alaska receive service and 112 locations across the other 49 states and Puerto Rico that otherwise might not receive any commercial air connectivity.

“Every state across the country will feel the effects,” the transportation secretary commented during a press conference, observing the service had bipartisan support. “We don't have the money for that initiative going forward.”