RFI - Exclusive Use Smokejumper Flight Services

The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking Request for Information (RFI) responses for Exclusive Use Smokejumper Flight Services based in Boise, Idaho. The solicitation targets aviation contractors capable of providing high-wing, turbine-powered, multiengine land airplanes specifically designed for smokejumper operations across the contiguous United States and Alaska. Key aircraft requirements include a standard airworthiness certificate, single-pilot VFR/IFR day and night operation capabilities, a minimum payload capacity of 3,400 pounds, seating for at least eight smokejumpers, and a side-facing exit positioned aft of the main landing gear. Contractors must provide fully operated and maintained aircraft, including pilots, fuel, maintenance support, and associated equipment. The RFI is intended to conduct market research, verify requirement feasibility, and promote future competition, with responses due by March 28, 2025.

The solicitation is not set aside for any specific business category and will be an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a five-year ordering period from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031, with a possible six-month extension. The contract falls under the NAICS category 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry) and PSC category F003 (Natural Resources/Conservation- Forest-Range Fire Suppression/Presuppression). While specific award values are not disclosed in the current RFI, the contract aims to establish a comprehensive aviation service framework for critical wildland firefighting and smokejumper deployment operations. The primary performance location will be Boise, Idaho, with potential dispatch and operational zones spanning the entire contiguous United States and Alaska. Interested contractors should carefully review the detailed requirements and prepare comprehensive responses demonstrating their capability to meet the BLM's specialized aviation service needs.