Project 2025 calls to end the Essential Air Service (EAS), making travel more expensive and less convenient for Americans living in smaller towns and remote areas.

Endorsed by over 100 right-wing groups, Project 2025 is a blue-print for the next conservative administration to gut checks and balances in order to take control of our lives and to take away our rights and freedoms.

WHAT IS THE EAS?

The EAS is a federal program established in 1978 to ensure that rural Americans have access to air travel, especially for essential needs like commuting to work opportunities, accessing medical appointments, or traveling for family emergencies. The EAS supports air service to around 175 rural communities, particularly those where commercial airlines would not typically operate.

By providing millions of dollars in grants per airport annually, the EAS keeps commercial airlines serving key rural routes and keeps flight costs low for residents. Without these grants, many small-town airports could lose service altogether or close, forcing residents to drive long distances to larger airports or face unaffordable ticket prices.

WHERE DOES THE EAS OPERATE?

Routes from every EAS Airport in the lower 48 states, as of August 21, 2023. Source

WHAT DOES PROJECT 2025 SAY ABOUT THE EAS?

Project 2025 calls for ending the EAS program and for cutting the federal subsidies that help maintain affordable air travel options for rural Americans. The Heritage Foundation, the leading creator of Project 2025, has also called directly for ending the EAS in its 2023 Budget Blueprint.

Source – The Heritage Foundation

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF ELIMINATING THE EAS?

Experts warn that ending the EAS could lead to the closure of numerous small airports, leaving rural communities isolated and disconnected from the rest of the country. Without these subsidies, a round-trip flight that currently costs $200 could skyrocket, making it difficult for many families to afford necessary travel and limiting economic prosperity for rural regions. EAS services are vital for cites like Page, AZ who would otherwise rely on driving to Las Vegas, which is 4.5 hours away.

HOW MUCH DOES EACH EAS AIRPORT STAND TO LOSE ANNUALLY?

Republicans in Congress have tried to end funding for the Essential Air Service before, with many members voting against the interest of the people they represent.