301-70.801—When may we authorize travel on Government aircraft?
You may authorize travel on Government aircraft only as follows:
(1)
No scheduled commercial airline service is reasonably available to fulfill your agency's travel requirement (i.e., able to meet the traveler's departure and/or arrival requirements within a 24-hour period, unless you demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances require a shorter period); or
(2)
The cost of using a Government aircraft is not more than the cost of the city-pair fare for scheduled commercial airline service or the cost of the lowest available full coach fare if a city-pair fare is not available to the traveler.
(b)
For required-use travel, i.e., when the traveler is authorized to use Government aircraft because of bona fide communications needs (e.g., 24-hour secure communications are required) or security reasons (e.g., highly unusual circumstances that present a clear and present danger to the traveler) or exceptional scheduling requirements (e.g., a national emergency or other compelling operational considerations). Required-use travel may include travel for official, personal, or political purposes, but must be approved in accordance with §§ 301-10.262(a) and 301-70.803(a).
(1)
The aircraft is already scheduled for use for an official purpose and carrying an official traveler(s) on the aircraft does not cause the need for a larger aircraft or result in more than minor additional cost to the Government; or
(2)
The Federal traveler or the dependent of a Federal traveler is stationed by the Government in a remote location not accessible to commercial airline service; or
(3)
The traveler is authorized to travel space available under 10 U.S.C. 2648 and regulations implementing that statute.