ICE Air Operations Division Daily Charter Flight Services

Added: Oct 27, 2016 1:08 pm The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is responsible for the detention, health, welfare, transportation and deportation of alien detainees in removal proceedings, and those subject to final order of removal from the United States.

The mission of the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Program is the planning, management, and direction of broad programs relating to the supervision, detention, and deportation of detainees who are in the United States illegally. These activities are chiefly concerned with the processing and enforcement of departure from the United States of detainees who have entered illegally or have become removable after admission. In implementing its mission, ERO ICE Air Operations Division (IAO) is responsible for carrying out orders for the required departure of detainees handed down in removal proceedings, or prior thereto, and arranging for detention of detainees when such detention becomes necessary. ERO's responsibilities include providing reliable, safe, and secure mass air transportation of alien nationals placed in federal custody.

IAO requires a vendor to provide chartered flight services for daily domestic and international flights predominantly to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America from five (5) operational areas located in Mesa, AZ; Brownsville, TX; Miami, FL; San Antonio, TX; and Alexandria, LA. These daily charter flights each require an aircraft with a minimum of 150 seats with 13 security crewmembers plus a flight nurse, and will require a maximum of approximately 18,000 total annual flight hours. In addition, long range international charter flights using an aircraft with a minimum of 150 seats and minimum range of 2,800NM will also be required for approximately one flight per quarter to international destinations. The anticipated duration of an awarded contract or agreement will be one base year plus four option years.

This Request for Information (RFI) is being used to collect information about capability of qualified contractors to provide the services as described above and pursuant to the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW). Prospective contractors who are qualified to provide these services should provide the following information for ICE's review:

1. Company name
2. Company address
3. POC information (name, title, phone number, email address, etc.)
4. Company business size (annual revenue, number of employees)
5. Socio-economic status
6. Copy of GSA schedule(s) (if applicable)
7. Brief Company Capability statement (to include addressing all needs as stated above). Contractors should specify their prior experience or contracts in the area; they should also specify whether they could be supporting the contract as an broker or owner/operator and expected availability levels of aircraft meeting the requirements laid out in this RFI and the attached SOW.

In addition to the general capabilities of interested firms, ICE requests responses to the following inquiries:

1. Given that the prospective requirement is a consolidation of what were previously multiple requirements, do contractors recommend the Government request multiple fixed hour rates based on operational area and flight type or a single fixed hourly rate? Please provide additional explanation supporting recommendations.

2. How do contractors recommend handling Service Contract Act requirements for a requirement that has national scope of performance?

3. What significant market conditions, trends, and operating constraints should the Government be aware of, which may not be considered in the attached SOW?

4. What items in the SOW are driving up costs for the Government and/or increasing risk for the contractor/Government?

5. Could guaranteed minimums for flight hours result in a reduction of flight hour rates? What level of guaranteed minimum for flight hours could enable a reduction in flight hour rates? What are the estimated minimum required flight hours per aircraft per month?

6. What, if any, recommendations do contractors have for improving performance or lowering the price of the SOW?

7. What cost-saving mechanisms and/or strategic sourcing practices could you use for jet fuel, if any? How best could the Government reimburse vendors for jet fuel costs (e.g., direct reimbursement; built into flight hour rates; varying fuel rates based on an agreed upon market index such as kerosene-type jet fuel commodities)?

8. What, if any, performance metrics would prospective contractors recommend the Government use to measure performance for these services? What incentives could be offered that would most effectively lead to outstanding performance?

9. After reviewing the attached draft SOW and this RFI, do you have any comments or concerns to bring to the Government's attention?

ICE may also seek to gather additional information by hosting an Industry Day at ICE's facilities located in Washington, D.C. at a time and date to be determined.

Interested parties shall submit all requested information and responses electronically to benjamin.shih@ice.dhs.gov by 4:00 p.m., EST, on November 10, 2016.

THIS IS AN RFI ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes-it does not constitute a solicitation nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Any contract that might be awarded based on information received or derived from this market research will be the outcome of a competitive process. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this announcement, and information submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned.