The US Air Force is seeking jet-capable charter operators to ferry caskets and escorts, primarily from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, to hometown locations throughout the USA.
The move to switch casket transport domestically from commercial airlines to private operators came about after the parents of a soldier killed by a roadside bomb last year had to claim his remains from an airline's holding area for oversized luggage.
Under the request for proposals issued late last month, the air force is seeking Part 135 operators that can provide jet aircraft to fly up to four simultaneous missions a day, based at Dover.
The contract was set to begin on 1 January and last for 31 days, with a possible six-month extension.
Source: Flight International