The Trump Administration is again threatening cuts to the federal Essential Air Service program, which provides funding for flights to and from rural Alaska.
The proposal – included in the White House’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 – calls spending for Essential Air Service “out of control” and suggests changing eligibility rules and subsidy rates to reduce the budget by $372 million nationally.
The proposal comes just as flight service to the Bering Sea community of St. Paul has started to feel normal again.
At the end of April, Aleutian Airways began offering regular flights between St. Paul and Anchorage. Late last year, the airline won a bid to provide subsidized air service to St. Paul, Unalalkleet and St. Mary’s through the program. Barring heavy fog, Aleutian now makes three round-trip flights to St. Paul each week.
John Wayne Melovidov, president of the Aleut Community of Saint Paul tribal government, said the restoration of regular flight service has been a gamechanger.
“More people are able to leave for appointments, vacations, and medical just because of that availability of seats, but also because of affordability of the seats,” he said.
Essential Air Service currently provides over $500 million to fund air travel to small communities nationwide. That includes dozens of communities in Alaska, which make up almost 40% of the program overall.
The cuts could jeopardize over $73 million that Alaska currently receives for annual air carrier contracts through EAS. More than $8 million of that goes to Aleutian Airways to serve St. Paul.
Melovidov said the Aleut Community of St. Paul plans to lobby against the budget reduction.
“You need to jump on a plane to get almost anywhere in Alaska,” he said. “Essential Air service cuts are going to be detrimental to a lot of communities that rely on those funds.”
Historically, Congress has resisted dramatic cuts to the EAS. Last year, it rejected a proposal to reduce the budget by over 50%.
