Potential Trump cut to rural air service subsidy concerns Bridgeport Airport

Yahoo

21-05-2025

FAIRMONT — President Donald Trump's proposed $300 million cut to the Essential Air Service could potentially impact North Central West Virginia Airport.
The EAS program ensures communities with small populations, such as rural areas, have access to air carriers. Airport Director Rick Rock said there's about 160 airports that are part of the program, with about 100 in the lower 48 states and remaining amount in Alaska. The subject came up at the Benedum Airport Authority's meeting on Tuesday.
'We think that West Virginia is just as important as any major city in America,' Rock said. 'Through that program, we're able to have people connected directly to West Virginia. One of the biggest things we've had as we tried to promote economic development is how hard it is to get to West Virginia. Essential Air Service really improves it.'
Trump's May 2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 discretionary spending includes a $308 million cut to the EAS. The document accuses the EAS of paying for half empty flights from airports which are within commuting distance of each other. It also claims it fails to provide effective assistance to most rural air travelers. The Trump Administration claims spending on the program is out of control. In 2019, EAS cost $175 million and in 2021, a COVID year, spending was $142 million. In 2025, EAS spending reached around $600 million. A cursory review of online materials did not reveal a reason for the increase.
Rock said the airport authority wants all programs to be efficient, but that the North Central West Virginia Airport has shown itself to be a success story due to EAS. The airport has done work to bring major figures in the aviation industry to the airport.
'I think that's some people's spin on it and they're trying to say why it shouldn't be,' he said, referring to the explanation for the cut in Trump's budget proposal. 'To me, it's the fact that in rural America we deserve to have opportunities that they have in urban America. I think that's what it comes down to.'
Fees collected from foreign air services that fly through U.S. airspace by the Federal Aviation Administration pay for EAS, as well as money from the Airport and Airways Trust Fund. The fund collects excise taxes from domestic passenger ticket sales and other groups who use the country's aviation system. Rock said it's a small percentage of the U.S. budget.
Benedum Airport Authority President David Hinkle doesn't expect a cut to the EAS to be an issue. The only issue he sees is if there's an increase in ticket prices, because EAS subsidizes those prices. But, it wouldn't affect what carriers come to the airport. The airport is working on bringing more routes to the airport.
'Unless it only affects the carrier, but they don't think it's financially viable for them,' Hinkle said.
Hinkle said the board wants to eventually return flight service between Bridgeport and Chicago. They also don't want to lose service to Charlotte, North Carolina. The airport is awaiting bids from different carriers, so Hinkle is in a wait and see mode. If there is a reduction to EAS, air carriers will have to reevaluate what they can charge passengers while considering what price would be acceptable to travelers as well.
The board also approved a lease from Longview, an oil and gas company to access some of the mineral resources under the airport. Rock said it will be a little additional revenue for the airport. Hinkle hopes the deal provides royalties for 15 to 20 years.
'What they do now is drill horizontally, so we have one lease where they'll come from south of the airport going north, and this one's going to come from the north and go south, and they'll meet each other,' Hinkle said. 'So it'll be two different companies drilling underneath airport property.'