RFP QA Amendment 2 9.1.2026.pdf

Number Question Response (Amendment 2)

These aircraft were recently awarded to a contractor under OSAMS, is there a correlation between these two programs?

No. This contracting effort is not related to Contract Award Number 70CDCR26P00000010.

Will these operate under FAA Part 121 passenger rules or under a DHS Air program/Public/State Use parameters

The aircraft will operate as a Public/State Use Aircraft under DHS Flight Program Standards. (see

PWS Section 2.2)

3 What level of security clearance will be required to operate these aircraft? Executive aircraft will require Top Secret Clearance. CODEL aircraft will require Secret Clearance.

Will any specialized ground support equipment (GSE) or maintenance tooling be transferred to the contractor as Government-Furnished Property (GFP) for the heavy maintenance phase, or must the contractor completely source all custom 737 tooling?

No specialized ground support equipment or maintenance tool will be transferred to the contractor as GFP or GFE.

What is the nature of the operations and maintenance (O+M) work that needs to be done on these 737s?

The contractor will be responsible for operating the aircraft to transport passengers between

CONUS and OCONUS locations and for performing all maintenance necessary to support those operations and maintain the aircraft in an airworthy condition in accordance with applicable requirements.

6 Will Boeing and/or DHS provide access to the native files for existing technical manuals? Yes. Any available manuals will be transferred with the aircraft.

Does DHS have a technical data ecosystem the updated technical manuals will need to be conformed to and/or delivered in?

Yes. Updated technical manuals for all upfit configurations, including the partial upfit configuration, shall be conformed to the technical data requirements identified in the Performance work statement Sections 13 and 13.1. The manuals shall be delivered to DHS via portable electronic storage media.

These aircraft have been in long term maintenance under an incumbent in Louisiana. Are they flyable so a contractor can relocate them to an alternate MRO facility?

Yes. The aircraft are required to be airworthy at completion of current maintenance activities. PWS will be updated to discuss inspections, minor maintenance and up to 7 hours of operations per aircraft to transfer to alternate MRO facility.

Beyond aircraft engineering, certification, maintenance, and flight operations, what program management, mission planning, logistics coordination, passenger support, security coordination, reporting, and operational support functions does DHS expect the contractor team to provide?

The government has no additional requirements to add to what is documented within the PWS.

Beyond the aviation functions, what non-flight operational support functions does DHS expect from the contractor team throughout the period of performance?

The government has no additional requirements to add to what is documented within the PWS.

Please confirm whether an HMR is required by the PWS and, if so, the applicable PWS paragraph(s).

Yes. Heavy Maintenance Representative will be contractor-furnished

12 Please confirm whether the HMR is Government-furnished or contractor-furnished Yes. Contractor Furnished.

Please confirm whether the HMR must be on-site at the incumbent Louisiana maintenance facility until each aircraft is released as flyable

No. HMR is not required for transfer of aircraft to alternate MRO facility unless any initial inspections by the awardee prior to transfer to an alternate MRO facility reveals heavy corrective maintenance is required.

Minimum qualifications (e.g., FAA A&P, 737 NG heavy-check experience, records/configuration control) Yes. Current FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification is required.

Please confirm whether the HMR function is evaluated under Factor 1.1 (QC/Certifications), Factor 1.3 (Maintenance & Logistics), or another factor.

Yes Evaluation will be under Factor 1.1 (QC/Certifications)

PWS Section 2.2 states that aircraft modifications shall be certified "through the appropriate FAA-approved process, including Supplemental Type Certificate, FAA Form 337

Major Alteration approval, or other authorized approval method as determined by the

Government and FAA requirements." Please identify the airworthiness determination authority that will govern these aircraft. Specifically, will airworthiness and configuration approval be made under FAA authority (e.g., STC or Form 337), under DHS flight program or public aircraft authority, or under a combination of both? Please also identify the governing airworthiness standard or directive that offerors should apply for design, certification, and pricing purposes

Airworthiness and configuration approval will be governed in accordance with the applicable DHS

Flight Program Standards. (see PWS Section 2.2)

For bidding purposes, Offerers should assume airworthiness certifaction is to FAA standards

PWS Sections 2.3, 2.3.1, and 2.3.2 assign interior configuration design responsibility to the contractor and describe configuration features using permissive language (e.g., "may include" and "when required"), while Attachment 5, Sub-Element 1.2, requires offerors to submit Congressional Delegation and Executive configuration drawings with their proposals and to price the CLIN 0001 upfit. To support consistent design and pricing across offerors, please clarify the following:

a. Does the Government intend for each offeror to develop and propose the CODEL and

Executive configurations based on the offeror's own design approach, and is it correct that no separate Government design specification, reference configuration, or minimum design standard document is being provided for these configurations? If any such document exists, please make it available to all offerors.

b. For each configuration element the Government intends offerors to include within CLIN

0001 pricing, please provide the minimum required technical, functional, integration, performance, capacity, certification, and interoperability requirements necessary for design and pricing purposes.

c. Where such minimum requirements are not yet defined, please confirm whether offerors should price and design to their own proposed technical solution, or whether the

Government intends to issue additional specifications by amendment.

d. Please identify the governing regulatory standard the Government intends to apply to passenger seating and cabin occupancy for the CODEL and Executive configurations, including any applicable seating limits or occupancy requirements for taxi, takeoff, and landing, and confirm whether the configurations are to be certified under the same standard identified as the airworthiness determination authority for these aircraft.

a. Yes. The Government intends for each offeror to develop and propose the CODEL and Executive configurations based on the offeror’s own design approach, subject to the requirements of the

PWS, solicitation, attachments, and applicable regulatory requirements. The Government is not providing a separate design specification, reference configuration, or minimum design standard document for these configurations.

b. The requirements for CLIN 0001 are those set forth in the PWS, solicitation, and attachments.

The configuration elements identified in PWS Sections 2.3, 2.3.1, and 2.3.2 are to be addressed by offerors as part of their proposed technical solution. The Government is not providing additional minimum technical, functional, integration, performance, capacity, certification, or interoperability requirements beyond those stated in the solicitation.

c. Where the solicitation does not prescribe a specific requirement, offerors should design and price based on their own proposed technical solution, provided the solution satisfies the PWS, solicitation, and applicable regulatory and certification requirements. The final configuration shall be subject to Government approval before installation.

d. Passenger seating, crew seating, cabin occupancy, and related cabin configuration elements shall comply with applicable FAA regulations, airworthiness standards, and certification requirements, including requirements applicable to taxi, takeoff, and landing. Weight and balance activities shall be performed in accordance with FAA requirements and approved technical data. The configurations shall be certified through the applicable approval process identified in the PWS and solicitation.

Sub-Element 1.2 directs Offerors to submit, as part of the Technical Volume, an Engineering

Plan detailing structural, electrical, and avionics integration, along with Drawings for both the Congressional Delegation and Executive Configurations demonstrating alignment with that plan. Developing detailed, integration-level engineering drawings and a formal engineering plan prior to award represents a substantial engineering investment that is typically matured during performance under the FAA certification process (e.g., STC/Form

337 development). To ensure proposals are evaluated on a consistent and price-reasonable basis, will the Government confirm the level of fidelity it expects for the Sub-Element 1.2

Engineering Plan and configuration Drawings at proposal submission? Specifically, will conceptual/representative drawings and a preliminary (non-certified) engineering approach be sufficient to demonstrate capability and alignment, or does the Government expect detailed, certification-level engineering drawings at this stage?

Yes. Attachment 5 will be updated to read as follows:

The Government will evaluate the Offer’s preliminary engineering plan outlining structural, electrical, and avionics integration.

The Government will evaluate the Offer’s preliminary drawings for the Congressional Delegation

Configuration and Executive Configuration that demonstrates alignment with the engineering plan discussed in the narrative.

The Government will evaluate the Offer’s preliminary weight and balance impact assessment.

The Government will evaluate the Offer’s preliminary Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) mapping milestones from contract award to operational readiness.

The solicitation requires the Contractor to respond to Aircraft on Ground (AOG) notifications within two hours and provide a corrective action plan within four hours. The solicitation also states that Off-Station AOG travel shall be processed under CLIN 0004 and that work shall not commence until a fully executed Work Directive has been returned by the Government. For time-sensitive mission support events involving operational aircraft, please clarify the Government's intended authorization process for Off-Station AOG travel and repairs. Specifically, does the Government intend to establish expedited approval procedures, pre-authorized funding thresholds, standing authorization mechanisms, or other processes to support immediate response when mission requirements do not permit waiting for execution of a Work Directive? Would the Government consider establishing a pre-authorized CLIN 0004 response threshold or other expedited authorization mechanism for Off-Station AOG travel and repairs necessary to support mission-critical operations, thereby avoiding delays associated with obtaining individual Work Directive approval before contractor personnel may depart for the repair location?

The Government has established an expedited approval procedure within the PWS. Per PWS

Section 2.5.4, the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) has the unilateral delegated authority to approve and sign Over & Above (O&A) Work Directives under $20,000.00. Additionally, the 2-hour response requirement applies to initial notification and the 4-hour requirement applies to providing a corrective action plan, not necessarily physical arrival at an off-station location.

Please reconcile the PWS requirement that all flight crew maintain Top Secret clearances with the Industry Day statement that clearance was expected for executive aircraft but not

CODEL aircraft, and identify clearance level, access, timing, and eligibility requirements by labor category and aircraft configuration.

CODEL flight crew shall require a minimum of Secret clearances. Executive aircraft flight crew shall require Top Secret clearances. Required clearances must be in place before personnel are assigned to the applicable aircraft configuration or mission. The Government will amend the PWS as necessary to align the clearance requirement with this clarification. (see PWS Section 12)

Given that this requirement supports senior leader and Congressional Delegation transportation as a mission-critical national security function, and given the compressed upfit and delivery milestones established in PWS Section 3.2, we respectfully recommend that the Government consider assigning a DPAS priority rating (e.g., DO or DX) with the applicable program identification symbol under 15 CFR Part 700. A rated order would allow the successful offeror to place priority-rated orders with suppliers and subcontractors for long-lead aircraft parts, materials, and specialized components, improving the ability to meet the required delivery schedule.

The government may assign a DFAS rating post award.

The five sub-elements are stated to be evaluated holistically to arrive at a single Confidence

Rating for Factor 1. Will the Government confirm whether all five sub-elements are weighted equally, or whether any sub-element carries greater influence on the overall

Confidence Rating?

No. Weighting factors are not assigned to the sub-elements. As stated in Attachment 5, a holistic evaluation approach will be used.

Sub-Element 1.5 (Safety Management Approach) directs offerors to submit a safety narrative but does not state whether offerors should also provide copies of underlying safety documentation, such as a Safety Management System (SMS) manual, safety program plan, or written safety procedures. Please confirm whether the Government requires only the safety narrative, or whether copies of supporting safety documents should also be submitted. If supporting safety documents are desired, please confirm whether they will be excluded from the 20-page Volume II limit, consistent with the existing exclusion for required quality control procedures, facility certifications, and configuration drawings.

Underlying safety documentation is not needed. A narrative is required to convey to the government that a Safety Management System is in place to comply with DHS Flight Standards.

To help ensure a consistent and comparable pricing approach among offerors, please clarify the Government's expected flight crew and cabin crew staffing assumptions for

Congressional Delegation (CODEL) and Executive/Distinguished Visitor (DV) missions.

Specifically, please identify the minimum pilot, relief pilot (if applicable), Mission Specialist, Cabin Attendant, and other mission-support personnel requirements that offerors should assume when pricing CLIN 0002 operations and mission support services as well as the projected OCONUS length of flight and duty day.

Three Pilots (2 Captains/ 1 First Officer) and three Flight Attendants (2 Standard Crew/ 1

Augmentee) are required. (see PWS Section 8)

Section 4.1, Quality Management, identifies certain certifications that the Contractor shall maintain, as applicable. Please clarify how the Government will assess compliance with these certification requirements when an Offeror proposes a team composed of multiple legal entities:

a. If the Prime Offeror is a joint venture, will the Government consider a required certification held by any organizational member of the joint venture, or must the certification be held by the joint venture entity itself?

b. Will the Government consider a required certification held by a subcontractor (with an executed teaming agreement), provided that the subcontractor will perform the portion of the work to which the certification applies?

Entities must hold certification for the work that they are responsible to conduct under the contract.

Does the Government have a preferred Layout of Passenger Accommodations (LOPA) for either the Congressional Delegation or Executive configuration? If so, will it be released as an attachment or amendment? Will the Government be providing the equipment called out in the LOPA?

No. The government has yet to identify a preferred LOPA for either configuration. No, the government will not be providing the equipment called out in the LOPA.

No, The government will not provide a LOPA for either configuration.

No. The government will not provide a LOPA for either configuration, therefore there will be no associated equipment provided.

Within the Executive configuration, how many seats are to be located inside the

Distinguished Visitor cabin, and how many outside it?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

Is the Government's intent to retain and refurbish the existing seats where serviceable, or does the requirement assume one hundred percent new seat installation?

Assume 100% new seat installation.

29 How many crew rest seats are required, and at what cabin location? The Government has not established Configuration specifications.

The Aircraft 1 partial configuration milestone specifies "four (4) Domestic First-Class Seats."

Does the Government have a specific make, model, and part number in mind, or is seat selection at the contractor's discretion subject to Government approval?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications.

Must all newly installed passenger and crew seats meet 16g dynamic performance standards under 14 CFR 25.562? If the Government intends to retain any 9g seats under a grandfathered installation, please identify which.

Newly installed aircraft seating must comply with 14 CFR 25.562-Emergency landing dynamic conditions. The Government does not intend to retain any 9G seats.

Does either configuration require fully lie-flat seats? If so, how many, in which configuration, and at what location?

At a minimum, Crew rest seats will lie-flat. The Government has not established Configuration specifications for the remainder.

PWS 2.3.1 specifies forward-facing passenger seating, and separately specifies removable conference tables. A conference grouping normally requires aft-facing or side-facing seats, which carry a different certification basis and a materially different cost. Will the equipment be supplied by Government?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Forward-facing passenger seating statement does not restrict VIP grouping or Conference grouping design. The equipment will not be supplied by the government. The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution.

Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable

FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

No. Equipment will not be supplied by the government.

Does the Government own, or have access to, any seats, monuments, or interior components that it intends to furnish as Government-furnished equipment for this effort?

The government does not own or have access to any seats, monuments or interior components that it intends to furnish as GFE.

Are seat dress covers to be leather or fabric? Does the Government have a required color, pattern, or material specification?

The Government has not specified leather or fabric seat dress covers and has not established required color, pattern, or material specifications. Offerors shall propose these items as part of their technical solution, subject to applicable requirements and final

Government approval.

For cabin flooring, does the Government require standard commercial airline carpeting or

VIP-grade carpeting? Please state any required color, pattern, or specification.

For bidding purposes assume VIP grade carpeting. (see PWS Section 2.3)

Are sidewalls, headliners, window reveals, and curtains to be refurbished, replaced, or left as-is? Please state any required color scheme.

The Government has not specified whether sidewalls, headliners, window reveals, or curtains must be refurbished, replaced, or left as-is, and has not established a required color scheme. Offerors shall propose their approach for these interior elements as part of their technical solution, taking into account the intended CODEL and Executive Transport missions, the PWS and solicitation requirements, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

For proposal and pricing purposes, offerors shall assume that sidewalls, headliners, window reveals, and curtains will be refurbished or replaced as necessary to provide a consistent finished interior suitable for CODEL and Executive Transport missions. (see PWS Section 2.3)

How many class dividers or cabin partitions are required in each configuration, and at what fuselage stations or approximate locations?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

How many removable conference tables are required, what seating capacity should each serve, and where in the cabin does the Government want them installed?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

For the Executive configuration, does the Government require a hard bulkhead, a soft divider, or is the choice at the contractor's discretion subject to approval? Is any separation required in the Congressional Delegation configuration?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

Are the existing galleys to be retained, refurbished, or replaced? Are any specific galley inserts required, such as ovens, coffee makers, or chillers?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval. Galley's and Lavs will not be relocated.

Does the Government intend that the existing Passenger Service Units be retained? If the new LOPA makes retention impracticable, will the Government furnish replacement PSUs, or is PSU procurement contractor scope?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

Will the Government furnish the Starshield terminal, antenna, and associated equipment as

Government-furnished equipment, or is procurement contractor scope?

Aircraft will be equipped with Starshield/Link. Subscription will be provided by the vendor.

The same question for Starlink: is the terminal Government-furnished or contractor-furnished? Is the service subscription contractor scope under Exhibit A item M-02?

Aircraft will be equipped with Starshield/Link. Subscription will be provided by the vendor.

For the multi-level network printer station operating at Unclassified, Secret, and Top Secret levels: will printers, cryptographic devices, and network equipment be Government-furnished? Which authority will accredit the installation, and what security guidance applies?

The Government will furnish the printer and DHS will accredit the print off our networks.

Security guidance is addressed in the DD 254 and will be updated to address awardee specifics at contract award.

Both configuration sections state that the configuration "may include" the listed items. For the purpose of pricing the firm-fixed-price CLIN 0001 line items, are those lists the required baseline, or is a subset the baseline with the remainder to be treated as options? Offerors cannot price a fixed-price lot against a permissive list.

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The permissive list allows for price and capability trade to achieve schedule.

Attachment 6 provides Base Price cells only for the five CLIN 0001 line items, with no option year columns populated. Please confirm CLIN 0001 is a base period requirement only.

No option CLINs are needed for CLIN 0001. CLIN 0001 is for aircraft Configuration Upfit, and all four

(4) aircraft will be completed within the one (1) year.

Attachment 6 as posted contains no formulas; all price cells are static. Attachment 5 2.1 requires the model to be submitted "with all applicable formulas intact and unlocked."

Please confirm that offerors are to build the formulas, and that doing so is not a prohibited alteration of the Government template.

Yes, Offerors are allowed to build formulas into the template as needed to comply with Attachment

5. Doing so is not considered a prohibited alteration of the Government template. Attachment 6 does not contain pre-set formulas.

Attachment 5 4.1 directs offerors to "RFP Attachment 5 - Pricing Template," while the RFP lists the Pricing Template as Attachment 6. Please confirm Attachment 6 is the correct reference.

Yes, Attachment 6 is the correct reference. The Government will issue an amendment to revise the

Attachment 5 Addenda accordingly.

Wil the Government publish the estimated baseline quantities it will use to calculate the

Total Evaluated Price? Without them, offerors cannot verify that their rate structure is evaluated as intended.

No, the Government will not provide the estimated baseline quantities. These quantities are an internal sample used to evaluate and compare rates equally among all Offerors.

Item M-01 instructs offerors to "assume a baseline of 4 VIP missions per month, per plane."

Is that assumption for pricing purposes only, or does it establish a minimum level of effort the contractor must be able to support?

This assumption is provided strictly for pricing/estimating purposes so that all Offerors bid against the same baseline for the Firm-Fixed-Unit-Price of M-01 (Monthly Readiness Support). It does not establish a minimum level of effort or guarantee a specific number of missions.

Item U-01 requires the flight hour rate to be inclusive of all aviation fuel, held firm across a base period and four option years. Is any economic price adjustment mechanism contemplated for fuel? If not, please confirm that offerors are to absorb five years of fuel price volatility within a fixed rate.

The Government does not contemplate an Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) clause for aviation fuel. Offerors must account for market volatility and propose a fully burdened Firm-Fixed-Price for U-

01 across all Option Years.

Are offerors expected to propose escalated rates across the option years, and is there any ceiling on year-over-year escalation that would be considered reasonable?

Offerors may propose escalated rates across the option years based on their own pricing models and economic forecasting. The Government has not established a specific ceiling for year-over-year escalation; however, all proposed prices will be evaluated for fair and reasonableness, as well as unbalanced pricing in accordance with FAR RFO 15.404.

Please confirm the $2,500 parts cost threshold applies to the total verifiable wholesale cost of replacement parts per discrepancy, rather than to any single part.

Confirmed. The $2,500 threshold applies to the aggregate (total) cost of all parts combined required to fix a single discrepancy/squawk. It does not apply to each individual part separately.

Item M-01 requires the monthly rate to include two qualified pilots per aircraft. Please confirm that pilot cost is to be recovered entirely through M-01 and not through the flight hour rate U-01.

Yes. However the PWS is being modified to three Pilots (2 Captains/ 1 First Officer) and three Flight

Attendants (2 Standard Crew/ 1 Augmentee) as a requirement.

PWS 1.3 and 6.1 make the contractor responsible for making the Government-furnished aircraft airworthy and transporting them to the place of performance. Under which CLIN is that pre-ferry airworthiness work and relocation to be priced? It does not appear in the

CLIN 0001 line item descriptions.

The aircraft are required to be airworthy at completion of the current maintenance activities. PWS will be updated to discuss inspections, minor maintenance and up to 7 hours of operations per aircraft to transfer to alternate MRO facility. PWS has been updated to align this to CLIN 0001. (see

PWS 4.3)

Are the four aircraft currently maintained under an FAA-approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program — for example, an approved program under the aircraft's original type certificate maintenance program, or an equivalent Government-approved aviation maintenance program? If so, will that program and its associated records be made available to offerors before or at award?

Yes. The four aircraft currently are maintained under an FAA approved maintenance program.

The records will be made available after award.

For each of the four tail numbers, please provide current status (active flight or parked/stored), total time and cycles, date of last flight, date and scope of last completed heavy inspection, and open Airworthiness Directive and deferred maintenance status.

Records will be made available after award. Aircraft will be in an airworthy condition when transferred.

If any aircraft is currently parked, is it being maintained under an FAA-approved or manufacturer-recommended storage and preservation program — covering engine preservation, corrosion control, and periodic systems cycling? If not, please describe the current preservation status. Extended storage without an approved preservation program can generate substantial return-to-service work that is not contemplated in the CLIN 0001 upfit price or the ninety-one-day Aircraft 1 milestone.

The aircraft are currently being maintained under an FAA approved program. The aircraft will be airworthy upon transfer.

Does each aircraft currently hold a valid registration and standard airworthiness certificate, or will special flight permits be required for relocation?

Each Aircraft holds a valid registration and a standard airworthiness certificate.

61 What are the anticipated delivery dates and delivery locations for each of the four aircraft? Refer to PWS 3.2.

The Government stated that no ground support equipment will be provided for the maintenance phase. Please confirm this includes jacks and jacking adapters, engine handling equipment, landing gear handling equipment, and aircraft weighing equipment.

The government will not provide any ground support equipment including jacks and jacking adapters, engine handling equipment, landing gear handling equipment, and aircraft weighing equipment.

The forty-eight hour receipt inventory window is short for four aircraft delivered on separate dates. Will the Government accept a written condition report submitted within forty-eight hours, with any discrepancies discovered during subsequent detailed inspection handled through the Over and Above process?

The government will accept a written condition report submitted within 48 hours with any discovered during subsequent detailed inspection handled through the Over and Above process.

Is the contractor expected to hold its own operating certificate or authorization for these flights, or does the contractor operate under DHS's own operating authority as contracted flight crew? This determines whether the contractor's own Part 91K, 135, or 121 certificate and operations specifications are relevant to this requirement, or whether none are required. The aircraft will operate as a Public/State Use Aircraft under DHS Flight Program Standards.

Attachment 5 3.1 requires a Facility Clearance at the Top Secret level, while the Volume I instructions at 2.2 contain an unfilled placeholder reading "[Insert Level, e.g., SECRET]."

Please confirm the Facility Clearance level actually required.

The Government will issue an amendment to post a usable Attachment 4 (DD Form 254).

PWS 12 requires all flight crew to be eligible for and maintain a Top Secret clearance. At the industry engagement event the Government stated that a clearance would be required for the executive aircraft and that no clearance was expected for the CODEL aircraft. Please reconcile these two statements.

Executive aircraft will required Top Secret Clearance. CODEL aircraft will require Secret Clearance

Attachment 4, the DD Form 254, contains no completed or fillable form; the file renders only a viewer placeholder with no form fields. Offerors cannot comply with the instruction to submit "the Government-provided DD Form 254." Please post a usable form by amendment, or advise what offerors are to submit in its place.

The Government will issue an amendment to post a usable Attachment 4 (DD Form 254).

Must the Facility Clearance be active at the time of proposal submission, or will the

Government accept evidence of an in-process clearance or a sponsorship commitment?

Yes. Evidence of an in-process clearance or sponsorship commitment that demonstrates ability to support the delivery milestones will be accepted.

Where flight crew must hold a Top Secret clearance, will DHS sponsor clearance processing for personnel who are eligible but not currently cleared? What adjudication timeline should offerors assume relative to the 11 December 2026 mission-ready milestone?

DHS will sponsor clearances. Adjudication timeline will be as soon as possible.

For subcontractors requiring access to classified information, must they be identified on the

DD Form 254 at proposal submission, or may they be added post-award by modification?

Yes. Subcontracts may be added to the DD form 254 post award.

The Aircraft 1 airworthiness activities window is 09 to 11 December 2026, with mission-ready status on 11 December 2026. RFP E.2(c) allows the Government up to thirty calendar days for inspection and acceptance. Please confirm that Government inspection and acceptance for Aircraft 1 will run concurrently with the 09 to 11 December window rather than after it.

Yes, the government inspection and acceptance for Aircraft 1 will run concurrently with the 09 to 11

December window rather than after it.

Please confirm that a title page and a table of contents count against the twenty-page limit for Volume II, and that the Integrated Master Schedule and the preliminary weight and balance assessment are likewise counted, since only quality control procedures, facility certifications, and configuration drawings are listed as excluded.

No. title page, table of contents, preliminary integrated Master Schedules and preliminary weight and balance assessments do not count against the 20 page limit.

Attachment 5 3.5 evaluates the Safety Management Approach against "PWS 1.1, 2.3, &

13." The Performance Work Statement ends at Section 12 and contains no Section 13.

Please identify the intended reference.

Intended reference is PWS 1.3.

The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan identifies S. Andrew Whittaker as the assigned

Contracting Officer, while RFP G.3 identifies Jonathan Igwebueze as the Contracting Officer and Mr. Whittaker as the Contract Specialist. Please confirm which is correct.

The RFP G.3 holds the correct information. The Government will issue an amendment to revise

QASP accordingly.

Industry Day for this requirement was attended by numerous qualified small businesses, including the incumbent contractor and at least four additional firms identified as small businesses under the applicable NAICS code. Given this demonstrated level of small business interest and capability, does the Government intend to apply the Rule of Two analysis under FAR 19.502-2(b) prior to issuance of the solicitation?

Specifically, has the Government determined whether a reasonable expectation exists that offers will be received from at least two responsible small business concerns capable of performing the work at fair market prices, such that the requirement should be set aside in whole or in part for small business participation?

Will the government solicit this requirement as a 100% small business set-aside?

No. As stated in the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, this requirement is being competed under Full and Open Competition (Unrestricted) and is not set aside for small business concerns.

What is the intended NAICS code for this requirement? The SF1449 does not have one printed on it.

SAM.gov lists 336411 - Aircraft Manufacturing.

Yes, the Government will issue an amendment to revise the SF 1449 to include this NAICS code.

Number of flight attendants is calculated based on the number of passengers. The 737-700 has 149 seats, which normally requires 3 flight attendants to manage the cabin. Will the government provide an expected seat count for the two different aircraft configurations?

Will the government provide a more detailed description of the two (2) Interior configurations to include total number of seats?

Three Pilots (2 Captains/ 1 First Officer) and three Flight Attendants (2 Standard Crew/ 1

Augmentee) are required and represenent the minimum assumption for O&M area pricing. This has been updated in the PWS. (see PWS Section 8)

No. The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government will not provide an expected seat count.

No. The The Government has not established Configuration specifications and no more detailed description will be provide.

"Physical aircraft modification and maintenance work shall be performed at the contractor’s FAA-certificated facility or another Government-approved location." Basing the aircraft is critical. After the aircraft have completed their maintenance uplift, where will the aircraft be based?

Basing locations has significant pricing impact on labor, taxes, & available facilities. Can the government provide a desired location?

No. Basing location will be provided by the vendor. For notional planning purposes, passenger initial departure and final return can be assumed to be in the national capital region.

Typical STCs for reconfiguration of the aircraft with engineering takes a minimum of 6 months. The government's timeline does not reflect a realistic expectation of completion of

STCs and reconfiguration. An expedited timeline has significant cost implications. Will the government readjust its expected timeline?

The government will not readjust it's expected timeline due to typical completion of STCs and reconfiguration.

The government has not given an indication of where it wants to fly, domestically or internationally, which has additional cost implications. What ratio of missions per year are intended to be international or domestic?

The government will not provide a domestic/international ratio. Offerors should price based on the solicitation’s flight-hour assumptions and capability to support both CONUS and OCONUS operations and identify operational assumptions. (See PWS Section 1.1)

The government has not provided a desired configuration of air stairs, tables, first class seats, regular seats, etc. for the contractor to quote the modifications. Will the government provide desired configuration per aircraft?

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

Offerors are responsible for proposing seat count and layout for each configuration. The required three-pilot and three-flight-attendant staffing level is the Government’s minimum assumption for

O&M pricing, regardless of the final proposed seat count unless otherwise stated.

82 Do you have an estimated schedule, or are the pilots expected to be on call/available 24/7? No. Aircraft will be pre scheduled.

The government has had these aircraft for nearly a year. Rushing a solicitation in under 7 days is irresponsible. A requirement of this complexity typically requires a minimum of 30 days. Will the government extend the deadline to allow for more competition, qualified responses, and a reasonable timeline to survey the aircraft, review maintenance records and develop a complete proposal?

The government will extend the deadline for the Request for Proposal to 8 September 2026.

It is our understanding that DHS is developing a new set of flight standards for these aircraft in accordance IAW 41 CFR Part 102-33 - Management of Government Aircraft. Will the government provide offerors with its flight program standards to comply with?

The aircraft will operate as a Public/State Use Aircraft under DHS Flight Program Standards. The government will provide guidance post award. (See PWS Section 2.2)

For proposal pricing purposes, Offerers should assume major modifications are conducted in compliance with FAA standards

The PWS does not reference what authorities the aircraft will operate under. Will the government provide guidance on FAA Part 121, Public-Use, State-Use approvals for these aircraft?

The aircraft will operate as a Public/State Use Aircraft under DHS Flight Program Standards. (See

PWS Section 2.2)

To take responsibility for 22-year old aircraft typically provides offerors an opportunity to review maintenance records, component data, and configuration logs. Will the government provide offerors the maintenance records for these four aircraft?

Aircraft maintenance records will not be provided prior to the award. Aircraft will be airworthy at the time of transfer.

Planned tail numbers and serial numbers are N474US 36623, N475US 33789, N479US 36617, N480US 29843. Aircraft tail and serial numbers may be adjusted by the government.

Will the government allow offerors an opportunity to inspect the aircraft prior to providing adequate pricing and bid submission?

No. Government will not allow aircraft inspection prior to proposal submission.

Starlink (unclassified) and Starshield (classified) systems typically need to be dual-installed on the aircraft. Is it the government's intent to have both systems on all four aircraft?

Starlink and Starshield have data limits and speed limits per subscription. Will the government provide the amount of data space and data speeds they need per month for each aircraft? This impacts costing.

Are Starlink and Starshield already installed and STC'd in the aircraft?

Two aircraft have Starlink currently installed along with two aircraft have Starshield currently installed. The government will require a backup satellite commercial data internet system (i.e., Ka) for the two aircraft with Starshield installed. Subscription will be provided by the vendor.

Historically, DD254s are prepared by the government and provided to the contractor with the required level of access and specifics on the requirement. The DD254 provided was blank. Will the government provide an adequate DD254 to determine the appropriate level of clearance required?

Yes, The government will provide an adequate DD254.

The Government is asking for:

"1. A detailed narrative demonstrating prior experience executing aircraft interior modifications and obtaining FAA Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) or FAA Form 337

Major Alteration approvals of similar scope and complexity.

2. An Engineering Plan detailing structural, electrical, and avionics integration.

3. Drawings for the Congressional Delegation Configuration and Executive Configuration that demonstrates alignment with the engineering plan discussed in the narrative.

4. A preliminary Weight and Balance Impact Assessment.

5. A detailed Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) mapping milestones from contract award to operational readiness, and strictly adhere to all upfit delivery deadlines as required in the

PWS."

However, the government has provided zero information on these aircraft (maintenance records, configuration information, LOPA, no weight and balance information, etc.). This renders this request impossible. Will the government provide maintenance records, weight and balance, historical data, wiring diagrams, etc. to facilitate accurate pricing?

No. The government will not provide maintenance records, final configuration, weight and balance, historical data, and wiring diagrams prior to the award.

The PWS has been adjusted to indicate preliminary versus detailed engineer plans, Integrated master schedules, and configurations. (see Attachment 5, Volume II, Seb-Element 1.2)

Aviation fuel and ground handling price varies dramatically depending on locations and going market rates. Will the government consider ground handling and fuel as an ODC cost?

No. The Government intends to award a Firm-Fixed-Price contract. Aviation fuel and routine ground handling shall remain fully burdened into the Comprehensive Flight Hour Rate (U-01) as defined in

Exhibit A.

92 If the government only requires two pilots, why does the aircraft need a crew rest area?

Three Pilots (2 Captains/ 1 First Officer) and three Flight Attendants (2 Standard Crew/ 1

Augmentee) are required.

To provide a continuous airworthiness maintenance program, we need to the airworthiness records and maintenance logs of each aircraft. Will the government provide this information?

What CAMP air engines and airframe programs are the aircraft currently on?

Aircraft maintenance records will be provided after award. The aircraft will be airworthy prior to transfer. The aircraft will be delivered with complete and current records, current AD compliance, and an existing maintenance tracking/program baseline sufficient to support transition to the contractor’s continuous airworthiness program. The current CAMP/engine/airframe program information will be provided only after award.

These aircraft were formerly Southwest Airlines aircraft with minimal food preparation configuration, i.e. ovens, meal prep, refrigerator, etc. Is it the government's intent to refurbish the galley to support VIP movements?

At this time, the Government cannot confirm that these are formerly Southwest aircraft.

The Government has not established Configuration specifications. The Government is leaving the item to the offeror’s proposed technical solution. Offerors are to propose and price their own approach, subject to the PWS, solicitation, applicable FAA requirements, and final Government approval.

Has the government purchased any parts or support equipment for these four aircraft?

Under what CLIN does the government desire a spare parts inventory to be purchased?

No. The government has not purchased any parts or support equipment.

Parts consumed will be charged against the applicable CLIN under which the service was performed.

The government has not provided any transition CLIN to cover the cost of starting up this program. How does the government intend to cover the cost of startup?

The aircraft are required to be airworthy at completion of current maintenance activities. PWS will be updated to discuss inspections, minor maintenance and up to 7 hours of operations per aircraft to transfer to alternate MRO facility.

Not all aircraft can support forward air stair installation and/or auxiliary fuel tank installation. Can the government confirm that these aircraft can support these modifications?

For the purposes of bidding, assume all aircraft can support aux tank and air stairs.

Will the government provide all registration and serial numbers for all aircraft?

Is there a technical library with historical records of each tail number A/C?

Planned tail numbers and serial numbers are N474US 36623, N475US 33789, N479US 36617, N480US 29843.

Technical Library wil be provided when awarded.

Aircraft tail and serial numbers may be adjusted by the government.

99 Can the government provide a specific description of each pricing CLIN?

Specific descriptions of each pricing CLIN and their associated billing mechanisms are fully detailed in Section B.1 Contract Pricing of the RFP, as well as Exhibit A (Scheduled O&M Catalog) and Exhibit

B (Unscheduled Maintenance Catalog & Complexity Tiers).