WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and 20 of his Senate colleagues have penned a bipartisan letter calling for robust funding for the Essential Air Service Program.

The EAS Program, funded through the U.S Department of Transportation, provides critical air service that connects rural and remote areas to major hubs, helping to grow area businesses and support economic growth.

Bradford (Pa.) Regional Airport operates with an EAS subsidy, flying to Pittsburgh airport.

President Trump’s budget proposal would eliminate funding for the program, which could force rural airports to suspend service and residents to drive hundreds of miles to reach the nearest major airport. The letter was sent to Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Ranking Member Jack Reed, D-R.I.

“The U.S. DOT’s Essential Air Service program connects over 170 small communities in the United States to the National Air Transportation System, providing them an essential connection point for travel throughout the country,” read the letter. “Communities in our states rely on the Essential Air Service program to sustain their local economies. Regular air service allows remote communities to access necessary medical services that might only be available in larger cities, as well as increase economic opportunity and attract visitors and new businesses. Any reduction in air service to these communities would likely reduce access to potentially life-saving medical services and decrease economic opportunity to already isolated areas.”

Enacted in 1978, the EAS Program has provided commercial service to communities that would otherwise go entirely unserved. The program subsidizes commuter and certificated air carriers that serve over 170 communities across the country. Pennsylvania is home to six airports that received a total of $14.55 million in EAS funding for FY17, which is critical to maintaining day-to-day operations.