United States Department of Agriculture
Research, Education, and Economics
ARS * CSREES * ERS * NASS
Policies and Procedures
| Title: |
Use of United States Flag Air Carriers for Foreign Travel
(Fly America Act) |
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| Number: |
343.6 |
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| Date: |
10/28/91 |
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| Originating Office: |
Financial Management Division, Budget and Fiscal Services
Branch |
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| This Replaces: |
352.8 Dated 10/25/79 |
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| Distribution: |
ARS Offices in Headquarters, Areas, and Locations |
This DIRECTIVE states policy, guidelines, and
conditions for requiring use of U.S. flag air carriers for foreign travel.
U.S. Government agencies are required to ensure that only U.S. flag air carriers are used
for transportation of persons or property by air between the United States and a place
outside the United States, or between two places outside the United States. The
Comptroller General of the United States will disallow any expenditures from appropriated
funds for payment of transportation on foreign air carriers unless satisfactory
justification is provided. |
Table of Contents
1. ABBREVIATIONS
2. DEFINITIONS
3. AUTHORITIES
4. POLICY
5. REQUIREMENTS FOR USE OF U.S. FLAG AIR CARRIERS
6. GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING AVAILABILITY AND
UNAVAILABILITY OF U.S. FLAG AIR CARRIERS
7. CONDITIONS FOR USE OF FOREIGN AIR CARRIERS
- FTR - Federal Travel Regulations
- U.S.C. - United States Code
Foreign air carriers are air carriers of foreign Nations.
U.S. flag air carriers are air carriers holding certificates under section 401
of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958.
- Comptroller General Decisions B-138942 and B-184136
- 49 U.S.C. 1517
- FTR 301-3
- Public Law 96-192
- Public Law 480
ARS employees and other travelers whose travel costs are paid directly from ARS funds
or from funds controlled or made available by ARS shall use U.S. flag air carriers for
foreign travel as provided in this DIRECTIVE.
The requirement to use U.S. flag air carriers shall not be influenced by factors of
cost, convenience, or personal travel preference of the traveler.
ARS Employees and Other Travelers Whose Travel Costs are Paid Directly from ARS
Funds.
- U.S. flag air carriers are required to be used to the maximum extent possible for
commercial air transportation between the United States and a foreign country or between
foreign countries.
- The requirement for using U.S. flag air carriers applies to employees and
theirdependents, consultants, contractors, or other travelers whose transportation costs
are paid from funds controlled or granted by ARS.
Grantee Employees Whose Travel Costs are Paid from Funds Included in Grants from
ARS.
Grantee employees must use U.S. flag air carriers for foreign travel financed by ARS
funds. This requirement applies especially to foreign organizations performing research
under grants made by ARS from foreign currencies appropriated under Public Law 480.
Availability of U.S. Flag Air Carrier Service.
Passenger or freight service by a U.S. flag air carrier is considered
"available" even though:
- Comparable or a different kind of service by a foreign air carrier can be provided at
less cost.
- Service by a foreign air carrier can be paid for in excess foreign currency. Exception
is authorized when U.S. flag air carriers will not accept the foreign currency
appropriated under Public Law 480 for carrying out foreign research programs (see Section
6, Unavailability of U.S. Flag Air Carrier Service, last bulletted paragraph).
- Services a foreign air carrier is preferred by or more convenient for ARS or the
traveler.
- For personal reasons, the employee schedules travel to permit taking leave in
conjunction with the travel.
Unavailability of U.S. Flag Air Carrier Service.
Passenger or freight service by a U.S. flag air carrier is considered
"unavailable" when:
- The traveler, while en route, would have to wait 6 hours or more to transfer to a U.S.
flag air carrier to proceed to the intended destination.
- Any flight by a U.S. flag air carrier is interrupted by a stop anticipated to be 6 hours
or more and no other flight by a U.S. flag air carrier is available during the 6-hour
period.
- Service by a U.S. flag air carrier, or combination of U.S. flag or foreign air carriers
(if U.S. flag air carriers are "unavailable), would take 24 or more hours longer from
the origin airport to the destination airport, than would service by a foreign air
carrier.
- For short distance travel, the elapsed travel time on a scheduled flight from the origin
airport to the destination airport by foreign air carriers is 3 hours or less and service
by U.S. flag air carriers would involve twice the scheduled travel time.
- ARS foreign travel can be financed only with foreign currencies appropriated under
Public Law 480 for carrying out foreign research programs, and U.S. flag air carriers will
not accept such currencies.
The use of foreign air carriers may be authorized only when U.S. flag air carrier
service is unavailable as determined by the guidelines in section 6, under Unavailability
of U.S. Flag Air Carrier Service.
- When direct service by U.S. flag air carriers is not available between the origin and
destination airports, a foreign air carrier may be used to the nearest practicable
interchange point to connect with available U.S. flag air carrier service.
- The interchange point must be consistent with scheduled connections and authorized
stopovers. The additional travel also must not unduly interfere with the conduct of
official business.
- A statement justifying the use of a foreign air carrier must be included on the travel
authorization or travel voucher. Expenditure for transportation on a foreign air carrier
may be disallowed if the justification statement is not provided. (See FTR 301-3.6 for
guidance in preparing the justification statement.)
T. J. CLARK
Deputy Administrator
Administrative Management