Air Transportation Support Services

FEMA's Response Directorate intends to solicit multiple-award IDIQ contracts for turn-key air transportation support services to back federal disaster response operations, with a sources-sought response deadline of July 29, 2026. No set-aside is anticipated. Place of performance is nationwide across the Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands.

The contractor must deliver 24/7 availability with a 5-hour response time from task order issuance, or within 3 hours for no-notice emergency events, and position aircraft and crews at designated departure points within 24 hours (CONUS) or 48 hours (OCONUS) of task order award. Required aircraft span small cabin jets (5–8 passengers, 1,500-mile range), medium cabin jets (7–10 passengers, 2,100–3,600-mile range), large cabin jets (15–17 passengers, 4,000-mile range), intermediate jets (30–150 passengers, 1,000–3,000-mile range), large/jumbo cargo aircraft (150+ passengers, 3,000–8,000-mile range), turboprops (4–92 passengers, 400–4,500-mile range), and helicopters (2–25 passengers, 50–700-mile range). All aircraft must be FAA-certified; U.S.-manufactured aircraft are preferred, though foreign aircraft may be approved with FAA waiver. The contractor must maintain minimum 10-hour daily aircraft utilization, provide hazardous material certification, weight and balance documentation, material handling equipment with qualified operators, and ground transportation services where required.

The contractor must be prepared to evacuate up to 20,000 Critical Transportation Need evacuees and activate aircraft within 48 hours of task order issuance. The contract will employ a hybrid structure combining Fixed Price, Time & Materials, and Cost CLINs with not-to-exceed ceiling rates. FEMA's 2026 small business goals require 33.7% small business, 5% WOSB/SDVOSB/SDB, and 3% HUBZone subcontracting for contracts exceeding $900,000. Responses are limited to 10 pages and must include SAM registration, CAGE code, UEI number, NAICS code (481211), socio-economic certifications, and description of capability to perform. A virtual Industry Day was held July 22, 2026; Q&A from that event and a revised sources-sought notice (Amendment 0001, dated July 17, reflecting removal of UAS requirements) are available.