Fly America Case Study

Beth Seaton, Western Illinois University gives us a quick case study on the Fly America Act

Follow up question and response:

Wouldn't the first option to travel via Air France be allowable under the Open Skies Agreement (European Union-France)?

Fly America and Open Skies Agreements are confusing. Here is guidance from the Federal Grants News October 2008 issue

Beth


Which Applies: Open Skies or Fly America?
With the March 30, 2008, effective date of the U.S.- European Union Open Skies Agreement, some confusion exists in the research community about the application of the agreement to federally funded international travel.
The agreement was signed on April 30, 2007. It provides that airlines of the EU member states may transport passengers and cargo on scheduled and char- ter flights for U.S. government-procured transporta- tion subject to certain conditions. Specifically, passengers and cargo can fly on EU carriers between the United States and the EU member states. It would seem then, that the provisions of the Fly America Act would no longer apply when using grant and contract funds to travel to the EU member states.
However, that assumption does not appear to be correct. In its March 4, 2008, proposal to amend the Federal Travel Regulation, the General Services Ad- ministration said that the Open Skies Agreement is only applicable to government employees ("govern- ment-procured" travel) and not government-funded contractors or grantees. Consequently, institutions should probably continue to abide by the Fly America Act until both the FAR and individual agency regula- tions, particularly grant regulations, are revised to accommodate the Open Skies Agreement. ✧

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Fly
• America
• Act

[NCURA1959]

Great question! See the video descripton for Beth's response.

[hdominey80]

The Federal Travel Regulation was updated on October 6, 2010. It is GSA Bulletin FTR 11-02. See page 2 (#3).

[hdominey80]

Wouldn't the first option to travel via Air France be allowable under the Open Skies Agreement (European Union-France)?