Essential Air Service Reliability Act of 2025

This bill aims to make air service to small and rural towns more reliable. It says that any airline asking the government for payments to provide “essential air service” must include a backup plan to keep flights going if there’s a disruption that isn’t caused by weather. This is meant to prevent sudden gaps in service for these communities.

The Transportation Department must put this rule into effect within 180 days after the law is passed. The bill also updates a related cross-reference in existing law to match the new wording.

Key points

• Who is affected: Airlines that apply for government support to serve small or remote communities, and the towns that rely on those flights.
• What changes: Applications must include a non-weather disruption backup plan to continue service.
• When: The new requirement must be applied no later than 180 days after the law takes effect.