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Fly America Guidelines
Fly America Act
Unless otherwise indicated in CRDF Project Agreement, the following provisions shall govern the air transportation of persons and property utilizing funds provided under CRDF Awards.
(A) Any air transportation to, from, between, or within a country other than the U.S. of persons or property, the expense of which will be assisted by CRDF funding, must be performed by or under a code-sharing arrangement with a U.S.-flag carrier if service provided by such a carrier is available (see Comp. Gen. Decision B-240956, dated September 25, 1991). Tickets (or documentation for electronic tickets) must identify the U.S. flag air carrier's designator code and flight number.
(B) For the purposes of this requirement, U.S. flag air carrier service is considered available even though:
(1) Comparable or a different kind of service can be provided at less cost by a foreign air carrier;
(2) Foreign air carrier service is preferred by or is more convenient for the agency of traveler; or
(3) Service by a foreign air carrier can be paid for in excess foreign currency.
(C) The following rules apply unless their application would result in the first or last leg of travel from or to the U.S. being performed by a foreign-flag carrier.
(1) A U.S.-flag air carrier shall be used to destination or, in the absence of direct or through service, to the farthest interchange point on a usually traveled route
(2) If a U.S.-flag air carrier does not serve an origin or interchange point, a foreign-flag air carrier shall be used only to the nearest interchange point on a usually traveled route to connect with a U.S. flag air carrier.
(D) If a U.S.-flag carrier involuntarily reroutes the traveler via a foreign-flag air carrier, the foreign-flag air carrier may be used notwithstanding the availability of U.S.-flag air carrier service.
(E) Travel to and from the United States: Use of a Foreign-Flag Air Carrier is permissible if:
(1) The airport abroad is the traveler's origin or destination airport, and use of U.S.-flag air carrier service would extend the time in a travel status by at least 24 hours more than travel by a foreign-flag air carrier; or
(2) The airport abroad is an interchange point, and use of U.S.-flag air carrier service would increase the number of aircraft changes the traveler must make outside of the U.S. by 2 or more, would require the traveler to wait four hours or more to make connections at that point, or would extend the time in a travel status by at least six hours more than travel by a foreign-flag air carrier.
(F) Travel Between Points Outside the United States: Use of a foreign-flag air carrier is permissible if:
(1) Travel by foreign air carrier would eliminate two or more aircraft changes en route;
(2) Travel by a U.S.-flag air carrier would require a connecting time of four hours or more at an overseas interchange point; or
(3) The travel is not part of a trip to or from the United States and the use of a U.S. flag carrier would extend the time in a travel status by at least six hours more than the travel by foreign air carrier.
(G) Short-Distance Travel: For all short-distance travel, regardless of origin and destination, use of a foreign-flag air carrier is permissible if the elapsed travel time on a scheduled flight from origin to destination airport by a foreign-flag air carrier is three hours or less and service by a U.S.-flag carrier would double the travel time.
(H) In the event that a Project Participant traveling under this Agreement invokes one of above-referenced exceptions to the Fly America regulations, he/she must provide a written “CERTIFICATION OF UNAVAILABILITY OF U.S.-FLAG CARRIERS stating: “I [the traveler] hereby certify that the transportation service for personnel (and their personal effects) or property by certified U.S. air carrier was unavailable for the following reason(s): [State appropriate reason(s) as set forth above].
