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Some Americans could soon face a three-hour drive just to catch their next flight.

That’s because President Trump’s proposed budget would cut $372 million from the Essential Air Service (EAS) program—the federal subsidy that keeps commercial flights operating at nearly 180 small airports across the country.

For many of these communities, those flights only exist because the government helps cover the cost. Without that funding, airlines could simply walk away.

The warning is already coming from airports that depend on the program.

“We would become a general aviation airport, and jobs would be lost,” said the director of Veterans Airport in Marion, Illinois.

Marion, Decatur, and Quincy are among the communities that rely on EAS to maintain commercial service.

Lose the subsidy, local officials say, and residents could be forced to drive hours to reach the nearest major airport.

Businesses could struggle to attract investment, tourism could decline, and airports that have offered scheduled airline service for decades could lose it altogether.

The Trump administration argues taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for “half-empty flights” and says the program’s cost has doubled since 2021.

Supporters counter that these routes are a lifeline for rural America, connecting small towns to the national air network.

Nothing has been approved yet—Congress will decide whether the cuts become law.

If these subsidies disappeared, should taxpayers keep funding flights to small towns, or is it time for airlines to stand on their own?

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