GAO estimates Fly America Act adds up to $1.5 million to State travel costs

The Government Accountability Office reports that the Fly America Act, which requires all U.S. government-funded air travel to use a U.S.-flag carrier, raises the State Department's annual travel costs by an estimated $0.7 million to $1.5 million. That range represents roughly 1 to 2 percent of the $69 million State spent on air travel in fiscal year (FY) 2025.

To derive the estimate, GAO analyzed a random, generalizable sample of 600 itineraries drawn from the 26,906 authorized itineraries for travel between a U.S. and a foreign destination in FY 2025. For each itinerary, State was asked to locate a pair of tickets - one compliant with the Act and one non-compliant - for the same route and dates in FY 2026. The analysis produced 1,000 ticket pairs. For 5 percent of the pairs, the Act increased State's costs (including fare and travel time) by an average of $455 per ticket. For an additional 12 percent, costs were unchanged, while the effect for the remaining 83 percent was deemed uncertain because of assumptions about airline pricing strategies.

GAO also examined the Act's impact on personnel. State officials indicated that finding Act-compliant flights on short notice can be difficult for urgent travel, such as emergency evacuations or personal emergencies. Routine travel challenges include limited compliant flight availability, pet travel restrictions, and a time-consuming waiver process. In FY 2025, State approved waiver requests for approximately 6 percent of itineraries between the United States and foreign destinations, most often to reduce trip duration, avoid layovers, or accommodate pets. About 14 percent of waiver requests were rejected.

The Act permits waivers when a U.S. carrier is unavailable, for medical reasons, or for traveler safety. Congress directed GAO to assess the Act's cost and operational effects, and the report provides the data on which policymakers may base any future adjustments.