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The future of Essential Air Service
McCOOK, Neb. - “We’re not going to stop flying, even if funding lapses for the EAS program.” That was the primary takeaway from a conversation with Tonya Ruhsenberger, Communications and Community Engagement Manager with Key Lime Air, also referred to as Denver Air Connection. Denver Air Connection (DAC) operates as the commercial-passenger brand of Key Lime Air, the Colorado-based carrier. For clarity, DAC is a subsidiary of Key Lime, which retains the airline certificate and handles the operations under that trade name.
The Gazette reached out to Ruhsenberger earlier this week with essentially two questions. First, we asked about the short-term prognosis for continued Essential Air Service (EAS). The second was whether Essential Air Service to McCook would survive the next round of budget cuts.
Essential Air Service is the federal program that subsidizes air carriers to provide scheduled commercial flights to communities like McCook that would otherwise lack access to the national air transportation network.
In the short term, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has reallocated $41 million for the continuation of EAS through October and into November—although it is unknown how far those funds will extend into November, or whether they will outlast the current federal shutdown.
Ruhsenberger emphasized that rural communities relying on Essential Air Service depend on those flights for vital travel and access to services. She pledged that Key Lime Air will continue operating on a normal schedule through the holidays even if federal funding is temporarily halted.
Ruhsenberger assured, “We’re going to do everything we can to preserve our very reliable service that we have coming to McCook right now. We don’t foresee any changes in the near future if funding does lapse in the next month or so due to the shutdown, we’re going to keep flying.”
Long-term expectations
The longer term, however, remains less certain. Trump administration officials have signaled cuts to the EAS budget of as much as one-third. During both his first administration and his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump himself referred to the EAS program as subsidizing “half-empty planes.”
When asked about the long-term outlook, Ruhsenberger replied, “We don’t have a crystal ball. We know that there is the potential for some reduction in the budget for essential air communities.”
She speculated that even under budget cuts, McCook would be recognized as a community in need. “Speaking to the Nebraska communities…even if we see a reduction or a change in who qualifies as an essential air community, you guys are rural enough.”
Ruhsenberger, who works with airports in several rural communities, empathized: “Your rural health care has really taken a hit, and some of the other subsidies have taken a hit, so that makes the essential air service even more important because, you know, folks have got to get out there and get to the doctors and you’ve got a lot of people who can’t drive.”
Looking ahead to possible reductions, Ruhsenberger expressed confidence that any cuts would take place in communities other than McCook. “There’s been talk, obviously, about changing the requirements of proximity to a major hub. If that is the case, you guys would not even be affected by that, because you guys are so far from a major hub that a requirement change would not affect your service.”
Ultimately, the decision rests on Capitol Hill, where cost-cutting is the order of the day, though few agree on where to begin.
Speaking of Congress in general, Ruhsenberger said, “This has bipartisan support, and they’re going to do everything they can to preserve the program.” She continued, “You know, we have reached out to congressmen. We have reached out to senators. I highly encourage everybody who lives in your area to reach out to their congressmen and senators and let them know how important this program is.”
…and we have.
Nebraska’s Congressional
Delegation agrees
When reached for comment, Representative Adrian Smith told the Gazette, “I have long supported efforts to strengthen and optimize essential air service for Third District Nebraskans who depend on it. Most importantly, EAS provides businesses throughout Nebraska with access to dependable air service, a necessary component of economic opportunity and rural job creation.”
Smith elaborated, “As with any program, Congress should constantly work to ensure taxpayer dollars are effective in delivering the services Americans depend upon, especially for rural communities which are still feeling the effects of severe inflation suffered under the Biden administration. This is why it is so important for Senate Democrats to put partisan demands aside and support a clean funding bill to reopen the federal government.”
Senator Deb Fischer also responded to our inquiry, saying, “I know firsthand how vital the EAS program is for rural Nebraskans, which is why I have always been, and will continue to be, a staunch advocate. Since its inception, the program has ensured that Nebraska’s rural communities remain connected to the world around us. Not only has it enabled us to access major markets and the economic opportunities that come with them, but it also provides residents of our rural areas with transportation options on which families rely.”
Fischer has spoken to this issue before. At the confirmation hearing for Steven Bradbury as Deputy Secretary of Transportation in February of this year, she said, “Mr. Bradbury, as you know, rural communities rely heavily on the Essential Air Service program. It provides them with connectivity and access to critical services. In my home state of Nebraska, we have seven communities that are served by Essential Air Service. It provides these communities not just with an increased opportunity to connect with the outside world, but it serves to help them attract business, attract visitors, and it drives local economies.”
Ruhsenberger summed up the conversation: “The Essential Air Service program has strong bipartisan support because members of Congress understand its importance to rural communities… If funding is reduced, we’re bound by DOT contracts, and only DOT can change them. Even a reduction could still allow for one flight a day, which DOT considers full service, but we’re not close to that point right now.”
She added, “DOT representatives have indicated they’ll work to preserve the program because of its bipartisan support.”