DEPARTMENT OF 

JUSTICE 

Executives’ Use of 

Aircraft for 

Nonmission Purposes 

Report to Congressional Requesters 

February 2013 

GAO-13-235 

United States Government Accountability Office

GAO 
 United States Government Accountability Office 

Highlights of GAO-13-235, a report to 

congressional requesters 

February 2013 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Executives’ Use of Aircraft for Nonmission Purposes

Why GAO Did This Study 

DOJ components including the FBI, 

Drug Enforcement Administration 

(DEA), and United States Marshals 

Service (USMS) own, lease, and 

operate a fleet of aircraft primarily to 

conduct DOJ mission flights, including 

counterterrorism and criminal 

surveillance and prevention of illicit 

drug trafficking into and within the 

United States. DOJ components also 

use these aircraft to transport DOJ 

executives, such as the Attorney 

General and the FBI Director, for 

official but nonmission purposes, and 

conduct flights to position aircraft for 

security reasons to transport these 

executives from Washington, D.C. The 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) and the General Services 

Administration (GSA) have established 

requirements for federal agencies 

regarding the use of government 

aircraft, including executive travel. 

GAO was asked to review nonmissionrelated travel by DOJ executives. GAO 

determined, for fiscal years 2007 

through 2011, which DOJ executives 

used DOJ aircraft for nonmission travel 

and the frequency, purposes, and 

costs of such travel. GAO analyzed 

executive flight data from each DOJ 

component for fiscal years 2007 

through 2011, and interviewed officials 

to identify the reasons that DOJ aircraft 

were used to transport DOJ executives 

for nonmission purposes and the 

frequency and costs of such flights, 

including flights taken specifically to 

position aircraft to transport executives. 

For purposes of this report, and 

consistent with executive branch 

policy, GAO defines nonmission travel 

as any travel conducted by executives 

that is not directly related to mission 

operations. 

What GAO Found 

From fiscal years 2007 through 2011, three individuals who served as Attorney 

General (AG) and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 

accounted for 95 percent (659 out of 697 flights) of all Department of Justice 

(DOJ) executive nonmission flights using DOJ aircraft at a total cost of $11.4 

million. Specifically, the AG and FBI Director collectively took 74 percent (490 out 

of 659) of all of their flights for business purposes, such as conferences, 

meetings, and field office visits; 24 percent (158 out of 659) for personal reasons; 

and 2 percent (11 out of 659) for a combination of business and personal 

reasons. All AGs and FBI Directors are “required use” travelers who are required 

by executive branch policy to use government aircraft for all their travel, including 

travel for personal reasons, because of security and communications needs. 

However, according to DOJ officials, while the AG has historically been required 

to use government aircraft for all types of travel, including personal travel, the FBI 

Director had, until 2011, the discretion to use commercial air service for his 

personal travel. DOJ officials told us this explains the AG’s greater use of DOJ 

aircraft for personal reasons than the FBI Director. According to DOJ and FBI 

flight data we reviewed, all AGs and the FBI Director provided reimbursements 

for their personal travel in accordance with federal requirements. The FBI also 

conducts flights from a covert facility to Ronald Reagan National Airport to 

position aircraft to transport the AG and the FBI Director. Specifically, $1.5 million 

of the $11.4 million for 659 AG and FBI Director flights from fiscal years 2007 

through 2011 was used to fly aircraft from this facility to Ronald Reagan National 

Airport prior to transporting these officials to their destinations. According to the 

FBI, these positioning flights are necessary because, among other things, the 

location where the FBI maintains the aircraft is an unmarked covert facility, and 

at times, the FBI initiates sensitive flight operations from this site. 

Nonmission Flights by DOJ Executives, Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 

View GAO-13-235. For more information, 

contact, David C. Maurer at (202) 512-9627 or 

maurerd@gao.gov. 
Page i GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Letter 1 

Background 5

The Attorneys General and the FBI Director Were the Primary 

Users of DOJ Aircraft for Nonmission Purposes from Fiscal 

Years 2007 through 2011 at a Cost of $11.4 Million 11

Agency Comments 

and Our Evaluation 24

Appendix I Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 25 

Appendix II Comments from the Department of Justice 29 

Appendix III GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 30

Figures 

Figure 1: United States Marshals Service (USMS) Prisoner 

Transport Plane 7

Figure 2: FBI Gulfstream V Aircraft. 7

Figure 3: Example of a Long-Distance Flight a Gulfstream V 

Aircraft Can Take without Refueling 8

Figure 4: FBI Flight Categories 13

Figure 5: Nonmission Flights by DOJ Executives, Fiscal Years 2007 

through 2011 14

Figure 6: Combined Purposes of All Attorney General and FBI 

Director Flights, Fiscal Years 2007 Through 2011 15

Figure 7: Individual Purposes for Attorney General and FBI 

Director Flights, Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 16

Figure 8: Aircraft Used to Transport the Attorneys General and FBI 

Director from Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 18

Figure 9: Flight Hour Breakouts for FBI’s Two Gulfstream Vs, a de 

Havilland Dash 8 100, and a Citation from Fiscal Years 

2007 through 2011 20

Figure 10: Aircraft Costs for Attorney General and FBI Director 

Flights from Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 22

Contents 
Page ii GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Abbreviations 

AAMS Alliance Aviation Management System 

AG Attorney General 

APSS Automated Prisoner Scheduling System 

ASO Air Surveillance Operation 

BOP Bureau of Prisons 

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration 

DOD Department of Defense 

DOJ Department of Justice 

FAA Federal Aviation Administration 

FMR Federal Management Regulation 

FTR Federal Travel Regulation 

GSA General Services Administration 

JMD Justice Management Division 

JPATS Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System 

MOU memorandum of understanding 

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

OMB Office of Management and Budget 

PFM Professional Flight Management 

SFT Senior Federal Travel 

USMS United States Marshals Service 

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Page 1 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548 

February 26, 2013 

The Honorable Chuck Grassley 

Ranking Member 

Committee on the Judiciary 

United States Senate 

The Honorable Jim Sensenbrenner 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, 

 Homeland Security, and Investigations 

Committee on the Judiciary 

House of Representatives 

Department of Justice (DOJ) components, including the Federal Bureau 

of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and 

United States Marshals Service (USMS) own, lease, and operate a fleet 

of aviation assets, including fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, that play a 

critical role in supporting DOJ’s mission-related responsibilities and 

operations. These responsibilities include conducting counterterrorism 

and criminal surveillance, preventing illicit drug trafficking into and within 

the United States, and transporting prisoners. In addition to operations 

that support their missions, DOJ components use these aircraft to 

transport certain DOJ executives for travel other than for mission 

purposes. 

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services 

Administration (GSA) established requirements for federal agencies 

regarding the use of government aircraft, including executive travel on 

these aircraft. OMB Circular A-126 sets forth requirements for agencies’ 

use of government aircraft, including the types of travel that are 

appropriate and requirements that travelers reimburse the government for 

use of these aircraft for nonmission purposes.1

 According to the circular, 

 

1

Government aircraft means any aircraft owned, leased, chartered, or rented and 

operated by an executive agency. 

 
 

Page 2 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

agencies may use their aircraft only for official purposes2 and must report 

semiannually to GSA each use of such aircraft for nonmission travel by 

senior executives.3

 GSA issued the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), 

which also requires federal agencies to report on the use of their aviation 

assets, including executive travel. These provisions include the 

presumption that travel by common air carrier is the most advantageous 

method of transportation and must be used when reasonably available.4

GSA regulations provide that taxpayers should pay no more than 

necessary for the transportation and that travel on government aircraft 

may be authorized only when a government aircraft is the most costeffective mode of travel.5

 In addition, agencies may not determine that 

another mode of transportation is more advantageous on the basis of 

personal preference or inconvenience to the traveler.6

The circular and related regulations allow for nonmission use of 

government aircraft by government officials when no commercial airline or 

aircraft is reasonably available to fulfill the agency requirement or the 

actual cost of using a government aircraft is not more than the cost of 

using commercial airline or aircraft service.7

 In addition, government 

 

2

OMB Circular No. A-126(7), Improving the Management and Use of Government Aircraft

(May 22, 1992). In addition, 31 U.S.C. § 1344 provides that agency funds may be 

expended only for the maintenance, operation, or repair of any passenger carrier to the 

extent that the carrier is used to provide transportation for official purposes. According to 

OMB Circular A-126, official travel means (1) travel to meet mission requirements, (2) 

required use travel, and (3) other travel for the conduct of agency business. 

3

OMB Circular A-126 (10)(c). In response to a February 10, 1993, presidential 

memorandum, “Restricted Use of Government Aircraft,” OMB Bulletin No. 93-11, Fiscal 

Responsibility and Reducing Perquisites (Apr. 19, 1993), directed agencies to report all 

uses of government aircraft by senior executive branch officials, including mission travel, 

and directed GSA to modify the current guidance on agency reports on nonmission uses 

of government aircraft to incorporate this requirement. Federal agencies are also required 

to report information on members of the families of senior federal officials and any 

nonfederal travelers, with certain exceptions. 

4

FTR §§ 301-10.5(a), 301-70.101(b). The GSA regulations also pertain to common carrier 

travel by rail and bus as the most advantageous modes of transportation. 

5

FTR § 301-10.260; see also FTR § 301-70.800. This includes common carrier travel by 

air, rail, or bus. 

6

FTR § 301-70.101(b). 

7

OMB Circular A-126(8)(a); FTR § 301-10.261. In addition, “space available” travel is 

authorized when an aircraft is already scheduled for use for official travel and a traveler’s 

use of the aircraft does not require a larger aircraft or result in more than minor additional 

cost to the government, among other things. 
 

Page 3 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

aircraft are available for required use travel, which is travel that requires 

the use of government aircraft to meet bona fide communications needs, 

security requirements, or exceptional scheduling requirements of an 

executive agency.8

 Certain executives have been designated by the 

President as “required use” travelers. Specifically, two executives within 

DOJ—the U.S. Attorney General and the FBI Director—have been 

designated as required use travelers, meaning they are authorized to 

travel aboard DOJ or other government aircraft regardless of their trip 

purpose. This includes travel for nonmission purposes, such as personal 

travel, because of their need for special protective security measures and 

secure communications while in flight. However, federal guidance 

requires that required use travelers, including the U.S. Attorney General 

and the FBI Director, reimburse the government for any travel that is for 

political or personal reasons.9

 However, under departmental policy, DOJ 

noncareer appointees are generally prohibited from engaging in political 

activities, and DOJ officials stated that departmental policy prohibits travel 

for political purposes. We did not identify any trips taken by DOJ 

executives for political purposes, as discussed later in this report. 

While DOJ executive travel aboard component aircraft may be approved 

as required use travel on a trip-by-trip basis in accordance with federal 

guidance, the Attorney General and the FBI Director, as designated 

required use travelers, account for a significant number of all nonmission 

flights within DOJ and approval for these types of flights for DOJ 

executives other than the Attorney General or FBI Director is rare. 

You asked us to review the circumstances in which DOJ aircraft are being 

used to transport executives for nonmission purposes, including the costs 

of these flights. Specifically, for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, we 

determined which DOJ executives used DOJ aircraft for nonmission travel 

and the frequency, purposes, and costs associated with such travel. 

 

8

OMB Circular A-126(5)(d); FTR § 300-3.1. Under FTR § 300-3.1, examples include a 

need for 24-hour secure communication, highly unusual circumstances that present a 

clear and present danger, or a national emergency or another compelling operational 

consideration. 

9

Under OMB Circular A-126 and GSA regulations, required use travel may include travel 

for official, personal, or political reasons, and required use travelers must reimburse the 

government the full coach fare for a wholly personal or political trip, the appropriate share 

of the full coach fare for an official trip during which the traveler engages in political 

activities, or the excess of the full coach fare for an official trip during which the traveler 

flies to more than one location for personal reasons. 
 

Page 4 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

While travel aboard government aircraft must be for official purposes, and 

may be mission or nonmission related,10 for the purposes of this report, 

consistent with executive branch policy, we define nonmission flights as 

those that do not constitute the discharge of any agency’s official 

responsibilities; in other words, flights that are not directly related to 

mission operations.11 These nonmission flights could include travel to 

participate in coordination meetings with other U.S. government entities 

and foreign organizations, field office site visits, and any personal travel 

by executives required to use government aircraft.12 We discuss the 

definition of nonmission flights in more detail later in this report. We did 

not review DOJ mission flight information as part of this review. We also 

did not review any DOJ executive travel aboard other U.S. government 

aircraft, such as executive flights aboard Department of Defense (DOD) 

or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft. In addition, because 

three different individuals served as U.S. Attorneys General within the 

time frames of our review and this report covers the tenure of all three; we 

report the percentage of nonmission flights taken by the Attorneys 

General in the aggregate.13

To identify which DOJ executives used DOJ aircraft for nonmission travel 

and the frequency, purposes, and costs of this travel, we determined 

which components owned, operated, or leased aircraft, and interviewed 

officials from these components to determine how they categorize and 

track executive travel, and which executives traveled on their aircraft. We 

then obtained and analyzed flight data records for fiscal years 2007 

through 2011 from the FBI, DEA, USMS, and Senior Federal Travel (SFT) 

data that each of these components previously reported to GSA. We also 

obtained flight data records from DOJ’s Justice Management Division for 

Attorney General travel for the same time period. To assess the reliability 

of DOJ executive flight data, we spoke with DOJ officials to gain an 

understanding of the processes and systems used to collect and record 

flight data and to understand any known limitations. We also verified the 

 

1031 U.S.C. § 1344(a)(1). 

11See OMB Circular A-126. 

12See OMB Circular A-126 for additional examples of mission and nonmission purposes. 

13The following three individuals served as U.S. Attorney General for fiscal years 2007 

through 2011: Alberto Gonzales (February 2005 through September, 2007), Michael 

Mukasey (November 2007 through January 2009), and Eric Holder (February 2009 to the 

present). 
 

Page 5 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

flight data estimated costs provided to us by multiplying aircraft flight 

hours by estimated variable costs per flight hour. Furthermore, we 

compared data provided to us by DOJ with executive flight data it had 

previously reported to GSA from fiscal years 2007 through 2011. 

However, because the FBI stopped reporting executive flight data to GSA 

at the end of fiscal year 2008, we were only able to make comparisons of 

the FBI’s data for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. To assess the reliability of 

FBI flight data not reported to GSA, we reviewed all available flight source 

documents for Attorney General and FBI Director flights taken in fiscal 

years 2010 and 2011. We found that the FBI flight data provided to us 

were sufficiently reliable for the purposes of our report. For additional 

information on our scope and methodology, see appendix I. 

We conducted this performance audit from March 2012 through February 

2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 

standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to 

obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for 

our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe 

that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings 

and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 

Within DOJ, USMS, DEA, and the FBI own, lease, and operate 

government aircraft primarily to accomplish and provide support for their 

various mission operations, such as transporting prisoners; preventing 

illicit drug trafficking into and within the United States; and conducting a 

variety of counterterrorism, intelligence, and criminal surveillance 

activities. For example, USMS operates 12 aircraft primarily for air 

surveillance and prisoner transport.14 DEA and the FBI also own and 

 

14USMS has two aviation operations divisions, the Air Surveillance Operation (ASO) and 

the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS). ASO’s primary mission is 

to provide air surveillance capabilities to the Investigative Operations Divisions and the 

USMS District Field Offices in their efforts to pursue and apprehend fugitives. JPATS’s 

mission is to transport federal detainees, deportable aliens and prisoners, and sentenced 

individuals, whether in the custody of USMS or the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). JPATS also 

provides prisoner transportation for DOD, state, and local law enforcement agencies on a 

reimbursable, space-available basis. Of the aircraft that USMS operates, it owns 10 and 

leases 2. Specifically, JPATS leases 2 McDonnell Douglas MD-83s and owns 2 Hawker 

800As and a SABB 2000, and ASO owns 6 Cessna T206s and a Cessna 208. 

Background 

DOJ Component Aircraft 
 

Page 6 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

operate aircraft, including fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, to prevent, 

among other things, illicit drug trafficking into and within the United 

States; to conduct counterterrorism and criminal surveillance operations; 

to conduct aerial photography; and to transport personnel, evidence, and 

equipment during a crisis or in support of time-sensitive investigations. 

The FBI primarily uses its aircraft for mission operations, but also 

operates a small fleet of large-cabin, long-range business jets, including 

two Gulfstream Vs, for both mission and nonmission travel. These aircraft 

possess long-range capabilities that enable FBI to conduct long-distance 

domestic and international flights without the need to stop for refueling—

which is vital to support certain missions related to counterterrorism and 

other sensitive FBI investigations. FBI also authorizes the use of these 

aircraft for executives, including DOJ executives who travel for 

nonmission purposes, such as required use travel or other official travel 

visits to FBI field offices and coordination meetings with other U.S. 

government entities or organizations.15 These aircraft provide secure 

communication capabilities allowing officials aboard to remain in constant 

contact with government officials and various organizations on the 

ground. While DOJ may authorize executives’ use of these aircraft for 

nonmission purposes, a significant portion of this travel comprises 

required use travel by the Attorney General and the FBI Director, who 

must use government aircraft for all of their travel because of the secure 

communications onboard. According to FBI officials, DOJ rarely approves 

nonmission travel aboard these aircraft for DOJ executives other than the 

Attorney General and the FBI Director. In addition, because the Attorney 

General and the FBI Director are based in Washington, D.C., aircraft are 

often moved, or “positioned,” from other locations to Ronald Reagan 

National Airport to transport them. Figures 1 and 2 provide examples of 

DOJ component aircraft, and figure 3 provides an example of the type of 

long-distance flights these aircraft can take without stopping to refuel. 

 

15 Under departmental policy, DOJ noncareer appointees are generally prohibited from 

engaging in political activities, Office of the Attorney General, Restrictions on Political 

Activities, (Aug. 8, 2000), and DOJ officials stated the departmental policy prohibits travel 

for political purposes. We did not identify any trips taken by DOJ executives for political 

purposes. 
 

Page 7 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Figure 1: United States Marshals Service (USMS) Prisoner Transport Plane 

Figure 2: FBI Gulfstream V Aircraft. 
 

Page 8 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Figure 3: Example of a Long-Distance Flight a Gulfstream V Aircraft Can Take without Refueling 

OMB Circular A-126 and related GSA implementing regulations require 

that federal agencies operate government aircraft only for official 

purposes, and also define the categories of official use.16 These 

categories include travel that is (1) mission required (i.e., to meet mission 

requirements), (2) required use, and (3) other travel for the conduct of 

agency business. 

 

16See OMB Circular A-126(5), (7), and (8). 

Federal Requirements for 

Executive Travel aboard 

Government Aircraft 
 

Page 9 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

 Mission required is travel that constitutes the discharge of an 

agency’s official responsibilities, such as intelligence and 

counternarcotic activities, transportation of prisoners, training, and 

other such travel. 

 Required use is travel by an executive agency officer or employee, 

where the use of government aircraft is required for bona fide 

communications or security needs of the agency or exceptional 

scheduling requirements. Agencies may designate officials as 

required use travelers on a trip-by-trip basis. However, certain highlevel government officials, such as the Attorney General and the FBI 

Director, are presidentially designated as required use travelers for all 

of their travel and travel aboard DOJ or other government aircraft, 

including for personal purposes, even though it may be more costly 

than the price of comparable common carrier flights. 

 Other official travel is defined as official travel that is not required 

use or mission travel. It shall be authorized only when there is no 

commercial airline or aircraft service that is reasonably available to 

effectively fulfill the agency requirement or the actual cost of using a 

government aircraft is not more than the cost of using commercial 

airline or aircraft service. 

OMB Circular A-126 does not specifically define the category of 

nonmission travel aboard government aircraft; however, it does provide 

examples of activities that should not be categorized as mission required, 

such as travel to give speeches, attend conferences or meetings, and 

make routine site visits. Furthermore, OMB Circular A-126 provides 

requirements for senior federal officials traveling on government aircraft, 

and reimbursement required for such travel, including required use 

travel.17 Specifically, the circular provides that required use travelers must 

reimburse the government the full coach fare for travel that is for wholly 

personal or political purposes, and the appropriate share of the full coach 

fare for trips that include only a portion of travel for personal or political 

 

17Senior federal officials are persons employed at the Executive Service level or above, 

and include presidential appointees. 
 

Page 10 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

reasons.18 However, under departmental policy, DOJ noncareer 

appointees are generally prohibited from engaging in political activities, 

and DOJ officials stated that departmental policy prohibits travel for 

political purposes. We did not identify any trips taken by DOJ executives 

for political purposes. 

In addition, GSA issued the FTR, which applies to federal agencies that 

authorize travel on government aircraft, and also requires that these 

agencies report on a semiannual basis to GSA information about senior 

federal officials and nonfederal travelers who fly aboard the agency’s 

aircraft.19 Specifically, the FTR provides that agencies must report the 

person’s name, whether the person is a senior federal official or a 

nonfederal traveler, and the official purpose of the trip and destination. 

For official travel, agencies must also report the comparable commercial 

fare for the flight taken,20 and for personal or political travel, the amount 

the traveler must reimburse the government (i.e., the full coach fare or 

appropriate share of that fare), among other information. DOJ and 

component officials said that components, specifically the FBI, DEA, and 

USMS, were responsible for tracking DOJ executives’ use of component 

 

18According to OMB Circular A-126, for required use travel in which an employee engages 

in political activities, the government shall be reimbursed for the appropriate share of the 

full coach fare of the entire trip. Full coach fare is the coach fare available to the general 

public between the day that the travel was planned and the day the travel occurred. In 

addition, for required use travel in which an employee flies to one or more locations for 

personal reasons, the government shall be reimbursed the excess of the full coach fare of 

all flights taken by the employee on the trip over the full coach fare of the flights that would 

have been taken by the employee had there been no personal activities on the trip. 

19The FTR is found at 41 C.F.R. chs. 300-304. According to the FTR, its purpose is to 

implement statutory requirements and executive branch policy for travel by federal civilian 

employees and others authorized to travel at the government’s expense. The Federal 

Management Regulation (FMR) states that it is applicable to all federally funded aviation 

activities that use government aircraft to accomplish official business, with certain 

exceptions. Additionally, GSA issued the FMR, which requires that federal agencies report 

to GSA inventory, cost, and utilization data on government aircraft on a quarterly basis as 

well as information on the senior federal officials and others who travel on government 

aircraft. The portion of the FMR dealing with government aircraft is found at 41 C.F.R. pt 

102-33. 

20This includes the comparable city-pair fare (if available to the traveler) or the full coach 

fare if the city-pair fare is not available. The City Pair Program is a program established by 

GSA and the airline industry to provide lower rates to federal and military employees on 

official travel. Federal and military travelers on official business are required to use the 

contract carrier unless a specific exception applies. City-pair fares may not be used by 

contractors. 
 

Page 11 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

aircraft and reporting this information to GSA. However, in 2009, FBI 

officials determined that as an intelligence agency, the bureau was 

exempt from reporting to GSA on senior federal officials who travel on 

government aircraft, and therefore, stopped reporting this information to 

GSA.21

DOJ does not have aviation assets assigned to the department’s 

headquarters; however, DEA, USMS, and the FBI, which are the only 

DOJ components with aviation assets, each house, maintain, and operate 

aircraft to support their respective missions. DOJ components apply 

guidance from OMB circulars and travel categories differently depending 

primarily on the purposes for which they use their aircraft, and no DOJ 

component categorizes travel as nonmission. For example, DEA officials 

stated that they use only two travel categories—mission required and 

required use—and that they did not have a separate category for 

nonmission or other official travel because they do not approve flights for 

purposes that are not relevant to the mission of their agency. DEA’s flight 

data for fiscal years 2007 through 2011 showed a total of 114 executive 

flights on DEA aircraft categorized as either mission required or required 

use for which DEA provided all available records. According to DEA 

officials, while they did not have a category or definition for nonmission 

 

21We are currently following up with GSA on the FTR reporting requirements, including 

how GSA has determined which federal aviation travel activities are exempt from these 

requirements. 

The Attorneys 

General and the FBI 

Director Were the 

Primary Users of DOJ 

Aircraft for 

Nonmission Purposes 

from Fiscal Years 

2007 through 2011 at a 

Cost of $11.4 Million 

Mission versus 

Nonmission Travel 
 

Page 12 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

travel, they used their professional judgment to identify a small 

percentage of these flights as executive travel that they said could be 

considered as being for nonmission purposes. We analyzed the list of 

flights that DEA provided to us and reviewed the source documents for 

those flights but were unable to independently determine the purpose of 

these flights. As a result, we did not include data from DEA in our 

analysis. DEA officials told us they are in the process of updating their 

Aviation Operation Handbook to ensure they are better categorizing and 

documenting the purpose of all DEA flights, including flights that could be 

categorized as nonmission. 

USMS officials also told us that they did not have a category for 

nonmission travel and stated they use USMS aircraft only for mission 

purposes. According to USMS officials, if an executive or nonfederal 

traveler flies aboard a USMS aircraft, that person does so aboard USMS 

prisoner transport flights.22 According to USMS flight data for fiscal years 

2007 through 2011, there were a total of 10 flights in which an executive 

was on board USMS aircraft, but all of these flights were for the purposes 

of prisoner transport. For example, on May 18, 2009, a DOJ executive 

official traveled aboard a prisoner transport flight from Oklahoma City, 

Oklahoma; to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; to Atlanta, Georgia; and back to 

Oklahoma City to observe prisoner drop-off and pickup operations and 

procedures. However, USMS officials told us this flight is considered a 

mission flight because they are transporting prisoners, which is part of 

their official mission responsibilities. 

As shown in figure 4, the FBI also does not have a category for 

nonmission travel. Instead it uses two travel categories: (1) mission 

required and (2) other official travel. FBI officials explained that the other 

official travel category includes all flights that are not directly related to 

mission operations, such as flights to transport executives for purposes of 

attending meetings and making field office visits. FBI officials also told us 

that almost all of the other official travel aboard FBI aircraft is travel 

conducted by the Attorney General and the FBI Director. For these 

required use flights, FBI uses subcategories to define trip purpose: (1) 

business, such as speaking engagements on behalf of the agency or 

meetings with government officials; (2) wholly personal, such as travel to 

 

22According to USMS officials, DOJ and component executives typically travel aboard 

agency aircraft to observe how the prisoner transport system works. 
 

Page 13 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

an executive’s home; and (3) a combination of business and personal or 

political.23 For purposes of our analysis, we are using the term 

“nonmission travel” to refer to all required use or other official travel on 

DOJ aircraft. 

Figure 4: FBI Flight Categories 

From fiscal years 2007 through 2011, three individuals who served as 

Attorneys General and the FBI Director were the primary users of DOJ 

aircraft for other official travel purposes (i.e., nonmission).24 Specifically, 

as figure 5 illustrates, our analysis of DOJ and component executive 

travel data showed that Attorneys General and the FBI Director’s travel 

constituted 95 percent (659 out of 697 flights) of all DOJ executive flights 

 

23According to DOJ and FBI officials we spoke with, the Attorney General and the FBI 

Director are prohibited from traveling for political purposes and, as such, do not use DOJ 

aircraft for political travel purposes. 

24While flights for other official travel purposes (i.e., nonmission) are approved for the 

Attorney General and the FBI Director, FBI officials told us these individuals often travel 

with several other officials who are traveling in support of DOJ and FBI official business, 

such as protective security details and operational support personnel. 

DOJ Executive 

Nonmission Travel 
 

Page 14 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

categorized as other official travel.25 The total cost of these 659 Attorney 

General and FBI Director flights was $11.4 million.26 Travel by the 

Attorney General composed 53 percent of the flights (366 out of 697), 

while the FBI Director’s composed 42 percent (293 out of 697). The 

remaining 5 percent of flights (38 out of 697) were taken by other DOJ 

executives, such as the FBI’s Deputy Director, at a total cost of $1 million. 

Figure 5: Nonmission Flights by DOJ Executives, Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 

 

25An individual fight is counted per calendar day. As a result, each flight occurrence 

represented could include one or more flight legs if the flight occurred on the same 

calendar day. 

26FBI officials told us that other official travel (i.e., nonmission travel) by senior executives 

other than the FBI Director or Attorney General is highly discouraged by the department, and 

only on very rare occasions will FBI executives request the use of government aircraft to 

engage in other travel for the conduct of agency business. When such a request is made, 

the FBI’s Office of General Counsel reviews the request and, if appropriate, sends it to the 

Associate Deputy Attorney General for approval. In addition, all costs are estimated costs 

consisting of total flight hours multiplied by estimated variable costs per hour. 
 

Page 15 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

As shown in figure 6, the Attorneys General and the FBI Director 

collectively took 74 percent (490 out of 659) of all of their flights for 

business purposes, such as conferences, meetings, and field office visits; 

24 percent (158 out of 659) of all flights for personal reasons; and 2 

percent (11 out of 659) for a combination of business purposes and 

personal reasons.27

Figure 6: Combined Purposes of All Attorney General and FBI Director Flights, 

Fiscal Years 2007 Through 2011 

On an individual basis, Attorneys General took 56 percent (206 out of 

366) of flights for business reasons and 41 percent (151 out of 366) for 

 

27From fiscal years 2007 through 2011, the Attorneys General took 9 flights that were 

categorized as a combination of business and personal, while the FBI Director took 2 

flights that were categorized as a combination of business and personal. 
 

Page 16 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

personal reasons,28 while the FBI Director took 97 percent (284 out of 

293) for business reasons and 2 percent (7 out of 293) for personal 

reasons, as shown in figure 7.29 According to FBI flight data we reviewed, 

the Attorneys General and the FBI Director provided reimbursements of 

the applicable full coach fare for their personal travel, which are 

transferred to the Department of the Treasury.30

Figure 7: Individual Purposes for Attorney General and FBI Director Flights, Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 

 

28The remaining 2 percent (9 out of 366) of Attorneys General flights were for a 

combination of business and personal reasons. In addition, because we performed 

calculations before rounding, some percentages may not add up to 100. 

29The FBI Director took 2 flights that were a combination of business and personal. 

30Reimbursement at the applicable full coach fare must also be provided for any 

individuals accompanying the Attorney General and the FBI Director on their personal 

travel aboard government aircraft, such as family members. 
 

Page 17 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Note: DOJ officials stated that the Attorney General has historically been required to use government 

aircraft for all travel, including personal travel, while FBI officials stated that the FBI Director had, until 

recently, the discretion to use commercial air service for personal travel, which he elected to do most 

of the time to save on the use of government funds. Because we performed calculations before 

rounding, some percentages may not add up to 100. 

According to DOJ officials, the requirement to use government aircraft for 

personal travel has not always been the same for the Attorney General 

and the FBI Director. DOJ officials stated that the Attorney General has 

historically been required to use government aircraft for all travel, 

including personal travel, while FBI officials stated that the FBI Director 

had, until recently, the discretion to use commercial air service for 

personal travel, which he elected to do most of the time to save on the 

use of government funds. FBI officials told us that in 2011, for reasons 

related to the Director’s need to access secure communication systems 

while traveling, DOJ made a policy change requiring the Director to use 

government aircraft for all of his travel, including personal travel.31 As a 

result, both the FBI Director and the Attorney General must now use 

government aircraft for all travel regardless of its purpose. FBI officials 

told us this explains the differences in the use of FBI aircraft for personal 

reasons between the Attorneys General and the FBI Director. 

According to the FBI, three aircraft are primarily used to transport the 

Attorneys General and the FBI Director. As shown in figure 8, from fiscal 

years 2007 through 2011, 61 percent (405 out of 659) of flights were 

aboard one of the two Gulfstream V aircraft, and 25 percent (165 out of 

659) of flights were aboard the FBI’s CE-750 (Citation). The remaining 14 

percent (89 out of 659) of flights were aboard other FBI aircraft. 

 

31FBI officials told us that more specific information surrounding this policy change is 

classified. 

Aircraft Usage and Costs 

for Attorney General and 

FBI Director Flights 
 

Page 18 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Figure 8: Aircraft Used to Transport the Attorneys General and FBI Director from 

Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 

FBI officials told us that these Gulfstream Vs and the Citation were the 

three aircraft primarily used for Attorney General and FBI Director travel 

because they have secure communications, larger passenger capacity, 

and the long-distance range that is necessary for their required use travel. 

However, FBI officials also noted that these aircraft are used for executive 

transport only when they are not needed for mission purposes—that is, 

mission purposes always take first priority. Specifically, 

investigative/operational missions are the first priority, required 

maintenance and pilot training is the second priority, and executive travel 

is the third priority. FBI officials stated that when they receive a 

nonmission flight request for an aircraft that is prescheduled for a 

mission-required flight, the Attorney General or the FBI Director makes 

the final determination for how the flight will be prioritized, but that they 

always adhere to these priorities to ensure that no mission flights are 

cancelled because of a nonmission flight request. According to FBI 

officials, they are aware of one instance in which a nonmission flight was 

terminated because of a conflict, and that the FBI has been able to avoid 
 

Page 19 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

such terminations because of the availability of multiple aircraft in its fleet 

capable of transporting executives.32

As shown in figure 9, while the majority of FBI aircraft are used primarily 

for mission flights, some FBI aircraft had more flight hours associated with 

nonmission flights than mission flights from fiscal years 2007 through 

2011. Specifically, from fiscal years 2007 through 2011, 60 percent (2,206 

of 3,657) of all flight hours for the FBI’s two Gulfstream V aircraft were 

associated with nonmission flights to transport the Attorneys General, FBI 

Director, and other DOJ executives. However, the FBI’s Citation had 29 

percent of its flight hours (596 of 2,063) associated with nonmission 

flights, and the de Havilland Dash 8 100 (DHC-8) had 6 percent of its total 

flight hours (127 of 1,966) associated with nonmission flights. For these 

aircraft, 38 percent of their flight hours (2,929 of 7,686) were associated 

with transporting the Attorneys General, the FBI Director, and other DOJ 

executives for nonmission flights.33

 

32According to the FBI, in 2002, the bureau established a memorandum of understanding 

(MOU) with FAA to allow FBI use of FAA’s Gulfstream IV aircraft on an as-needed basis 

for mission-related and required use travel, including for use as alternative transportation 

to resolve conflicts in flight scheduling for mission or required travel. However, FBI officials 

also told us they have yet to exercise this agreement because they have not needed to 

use FAA’s Gulfstream IV aircraft as a result of being able to effectively resolve conflicts in 

flight scheduling with its current fleet of aircraft. 

33These aircraft include two Gulfstream V’s, the DHC-8, and the Citation. 
 

Page 20 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Figure 9: Flight Hour Breakouts for FBI’s Two Gulfstream Vs, a de Havilland Dash 8 

100, and a Citation from Fiscal Years 2007 through 2011 

From fiscal years 2007 through 2011, the cost for all Attorney General 

and FBI Director nonmission travel was $11.4 million: $5.8 million (51 

percent) for the Attorney General and $5.6 million (49 percent) for the FBI 

Director.34 Of the $5.8 million for Attorney General flights, about $4 million 

(69 percent) was for business travel and $1.6 million (28 percent) was for 

personal flights.35 For the FBI Director, $5.5 million (98 percent) was for 

business flights, while the remaining costs were for seven personal 

flights. In addition, because 86 percent of all Attorney General and FBI 

Director nonmission flights were taken aboard the FBI’s Gulfstream Vs or 

Citation, the total flight costs generally resulted from the use of these 

aircraft. For example, the total cost of the 570 flights taken aboard these 

three aircraft was $11 million—96 percent of all flight costs for the 

Attorneys General and the FBI Director from fiscal years 2007 through 

2011. As figure 10 illustrates, 405 flights were taken aboard the FBI’s 

 

34All costs are estimated costs consisting of total flight hours multiplied by estimated 

variable costs per hour. 

35About $166,000 was used for a combination of business and personal flights. 
 

Page 21 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Gulfstream Vs at a cost of $9 million, and 165 flights were on the Citation 

at a cost of $2 million.36

As previously noted, OMB Circular A-126 requires that the government be 

reimbursed for any personal travel at the full coach fare between cities. 

This reimbursement amount, or equivalent commercial fare, is generally 

less than the cost of operating a government aircraft. For example, a 

personal trip taken by the Attorney General to New York in November, 

2010 using the FBI’s Gulfstream V had an estimated flight cost of 

$15,894, but the reimbursement at the equivalent commercial fare was 

$420.80. The FBI’s flight data showed that the FBI Director took a total of 

10 trips aboard FBI aircraft that required reimbursement from fiscal years 

2007 through 2011, and he reimbursed the equivalent commercial fare for 

these flights totaling $4,556 in equivalent commercial cost, while 88 of the 

Attorney General’s trips required reimbursements during the same time 

period, and he reimbursed the equivalent commercial fare for these flights 

totaling $46,982. DOJ and FBI officials explained that while the Attorney 

General and FBI Director did not use DOJ aircraft to travel for political 

purposes, they provided reimbursements for travel involving personal 

purposes in accordance with federal requirements.37 DOJ officials told us 

that the Attorney General sends his reimbursements via check to DOJ’s 

Finance Office, which is responsible for depositing these funds to the 

Department of the Treasury. Similarly, FBI officials told us that the FBI 

Director pays reimbursements for his personal travel through the FBI 

Finance Division, which is responsible for depositing these funds to the 

Department of the Treasury. 

 

36The remaining 89 flights were taken aboard other FBI aircraft at a cost of roughly 

$300,000. These other aircraft included an FBI tactical helicopter and DHC-8. 

37Three individuals served as U.S. Attorney General for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, 

and according to DOJ and FBI officials we spoke with, none of them used DOJ aircraft for 

political purposes, but did provide reimbursements for any personal travel in accordance 

with federal requirements. 
 

Page 22 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Figure 10: Aircraft Costs for Attorney General and FBI Director Flights from Fiscal 

Years 2007 through 2011 

In addition, the costs of individual flights can vary depending on the 

aircraft being used and the length of the flight. For example, a 2-hour 

flight aboard the FBI’s Gulfstream V on May 15, 2010, cost $9,940, while 

a 2-hour flight aboard the FBI’s Citation on September 9, 2010, cost 

$7,408 because the Citation costs about $1,000 less per hour to operate 

than the Gulfstream V. Further, a 2-hour domestic flight on the Gulfstream 

V aircraft cost $9,940; while an almost 15-hour international flight on the 

same aircraft cost $75,440. 
 

Page 23 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Because the Attorney General and FBI Director are based in Washington, 

D.C., FBI aircraft are often flown from another location to Ronald Reagan 

National Airport to pick these officials up and take them to their 

destination—on what is called a positioning flight. Specifically, the FBI 

conducts these flights from a storage facility to Ronald Reagan National 

Airport to pick up the Attorney General and the FBI Director and then 

returns the aircraft to this facility once each trip is completed.38 Of the 659 

Attorney General and FBI Director flights taken from fiscal years 2007 

through 2011 for nonmission purposes, 505 (77 percent) had an 

associated positioning flight. The total cost of these positioning flights 

accounted for $1.5 million of the $11.4 million total spent on Attorney 

General and FBI Director travel.39 According to the FBI, these positioning 

flights are necessary because, among other things, the location where 

FBI maintains its aviation fleet is an unmarked, covert facility, and at 

times, the FBI initiates sensitive flight operations from this site. As a 

result, these aircraft need to be housed there instead of at more public 

airports closer to Washington, D.C., a location that could compromise 

operations. As discussed above, because the majority of Attorney 

General and FBI Director flights taken during this time period were aboard 

one of three FBI aircraft (two Gulfstream Vs and a Citation), almost all of 

the positioning costs associated with Attorney General and FBI Director 

nonmission flights were for these three aircraft.40

 

38The specific location of the covert facility was deemed highly sensitive by the FBI and 

cannot be publicly reported. 

39Of the 659 total Attorney General and FBI Director flights taken for nonmission purposes 

from fiscal years 2007 through 2011, 154 flights did not have a positioning cost associated 

with them. These were generally flights departing from foreign airports or helicopter flights. 

40Specifically, of the $1.5 million spent from fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to position 

aircraft for the purposes of Attorney General and FBI Director travel, $43,347 was spent to 

position an aircraft other than one of the FBI’s Gulfstream V aircraft or the Citation. 

FBI Positions Aircraft to 

Transport the Attorney 

General and FBI Director 
 

Page 24 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

We provided a draft of this report to DOJ for official review and comment. 

DOJ provided written comments on the draft report, which are reproduced 

in full in appendix II. DOJ also provided technical clarifications, which we 

incorporated where appropriate. DOJ’s letter stated that departmental 

policy prohibits travel for political purposes even though OMB guidance 

and GSA regulations allow required use travel for business, personal or 

political purposes. Our review of data on executive use of DOJ aviation 

assets found no trips taken by DOJ for political purposes. We also 

reflect in several places throughout our report that DOJ policy prohibits 

travel for political purposes. 

As agreed with your offices, unless you publicly announce the contents of 

this report earlier, we plan no further distribution until 30 days from the 

report date. At that time, we will send copies to the Attorney General and 

other interested parties. This report will also be available at no charge on 

GAO’s website at http://www.gao.gov. 

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me 

at (202) 512-9627 or maurerd@gao.gov. Contact points for our Office of 

Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page 

of this report. Key contributors to this report are listed in appendix III. 

David C. Maurer 

Director 

Homeland Security and Justice Issues 

Agency Comments 

and Our Evaluation 
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology 

Page 25 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

To identify, for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, which Department of 

Justice (DOJ) executives used DOJ aircraft for nonmission travel and the 

frequency, purposes, and costs associated with such travel, we 

interviewed DOJ and component officials to determine which components 

owned, operated, or leased government aircraft. After determining that 

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement 

Administration (DEA), and United States Marshals Service (USMS) were 

the three DOJ components with government aircraft, we then interviewed 

officials from these components to determine how they each categorize 

and track executive travel, and which DOJ executives traveled on their 

aircraft. To better understand relevant federal requirements governing the 

management and use of government aircraft, including executive travel 

aboard government aircraft, we reviewed the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) Circular A-126, the General Service Administration’s 

(GSA) Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) and Federal Management 

Regulation (FMR) as contained in Title 41 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations, and DOJ- and component-specific guidance governing the 

management and use of agency aircraft. We also interviewed DOJ 

component officials to obtain an understanding of component-specific 

guidance they used for the approval of executive travel on government 

aircraft. 

We then obtained and analyzed DOJ executive flight data from each 

component’s flight data systems for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, 

including flight records from the FBI’s and DEA’s Professional Flight 

Management (PFM) systems, USMS’s Automated Prisoner Scheduling 

System (APSS), and Senior Federal Travel (SFT) data that each 

component reported to GSA. We analyzed these data to identify the 

number of DOJ executive flights taken for nonmission purposes, including 

which DOJ executives used these aircraft, which aircraft they used, the 

frequency with which they used these aircraft, and the cost of each flight. 

We verified the flight data estimated costs provided to us by multiplying 

aircraft flight hours by estimated variable costs per flight hour. These 

aircraft-specific estimated variable costs per hour were provided by 

Conklin and de Decker software that is updated annually. We obtained 

documentation for the current version of the Conklin and de Decker 

software that the FBI uses, verified the Conklin and de Decker cost 

categories that the FBI uses, and reviewed the Conklin and de Decker 

website to better understand the company, software, and cost categories. 

Conklin and de Decker flight hour cost estimates are considered the 

government-wide and industry standard for aviation cost accounting and 

are widely used in private industry as well as government agencies, 

including GSA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the 

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology 
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology 

Page 26 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). For each flight 

and flight segment, we identified the travel date(s), flight location (i.e., 

domestic or foreign), the type of nonmission travel (i.e., personal, political, 

or business travel), estimated per hour flight cost and total estimated flight 

cost, and reimbursement costs for any DOJ executive nonmission travel 

for personal reasons. 

To identify the reasons and rationales for which the FBI positioned aircraft 

at Ronald Reagan National Airport to transport the Attorney General and 

the FBI Director, we interviewed FBI officials to better understand the 

purposes for which these types of flights may occur. To determine the 

frequency and costs of such travel, we obtained and analyzed relevant 

DOJ component flight data for fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to identify 

the number of positioning flights taken, the specific costs of these flights, 

and the specific aircraft used for these flights. 

To assess the reliability of DOJ executive flight data, we interviewed DOJ 

component officials to gain an understanding of the processes and 

databases used to collect and record flight data and to understand 

existing quality control procedures and any known limitations. We also 

compared executive flight data provided to us by DOJ with executive flight 

data it had previously reported to GSA for fiscal years 2007 through 2011. 

To conduct this comparison, we used the flight date as a common 

identifier for each flight record, and identified for each flight, the 

passengers (i.e., DOJ executives), estimated flight cost, type of travel 

(i.e., personal, business, or combination), aircraft type, total flight hours 

(including positioning flight hours), and related reimbursement information 

for personal travel. However, because the FBI stopped reporting 

executive flight data to GSA in 2009, we were only able to compare the 

FBI’s data with GSA’s data for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. Specifically, in 

2009, FBI officials determined that as an intelligence agency, the bureau 

was exempt from reporting to GSA on senior federal officials who travel 

on government aircraft, and therefore, it stopped reporting this information 

to GSA. 

Because we were not able to compare GSA and FBI data for fiscal years 

2009 through 2011, we reviewed Attorney General and FBI Director flight 

records for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 and for any other senior DOJ 

executives traveling aboard FBI aircraft from fiscal years 2007 through 

2011, for nonmission purposes. Specifically, we compared the FBI flight 

data records with available source documents, which included the 

Passenger Manifest, Special Operations Flight Request Form, After 

Action Report, Professional Flight Management (PFM) reports, and other 
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology 

Page 27 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

internal memorandums, as available. The source documents for 

helicopter flights included Senior Federal Travel Form (GSA Form 3641), 

HRT/THU Flight Strip, HRT Flight Operations Mission Brief, and a 

memorandum for the Deputy Attorney General. We also compared the 

FBI’s Attorney General flight data records for fiscal years 2007 through 

2011 with Attorney General flight data records maintained by DOJ’s 

Justice Management Division (JMD). On the basis of the results of our 

comparison of FBI, JMD, and GSA executive flight data for fiscal years 

2007 through 2011 and our review of executive flight data for fiscal years 

2010 and 2011, we determined that FBI’s flight data records were 

sufficiently reliable for the purposes of this report. 

To assess the reliability of the DEA flight data records, we discussed with 

DEA officials their process for tracking, documenting, and reporting DOJ 

and component executives’ use of DEA aircraft and conducted an on-site 

review of the agency’s executive travel records. We found that DEA 

officials categorize executive travel on agency aircraft as either mission 

required or required use. While DEA’s flight data for fiscal years 2007 

through 2011 showed a total of 114 executive flights aboard DEA aircraft 

that were categorized as either mission or required use, DEA officials 

identified a small percentage of these flights that could be considered as 

being for nonmission purposes primarily from their recollection of the flight 

purpose and whether or not it was associated with a specific case. In 

addition, we reviewed the list of flights DEA officials provided to us that 

they considered to be nonmission travel and reviewed the source 

documents for those flights. These source documents included DEA 

Aircraft Mission Report (DEA Form 379), VIP Transport, SES A-126 

Travel Checklist, printouts from DEA’s Alliance Aviation Management 

System (AAMS), and e-mails. However, we were unable to determine the 

purpose of these flights from reviewing DEA’s flight documentation. 

Because DEA does not have guidance that specifically addresses how 

the agency applies definitions outlined in OMB Circular A-126 to its 

aviation operations, including identifying mission versus nonmission 

travel, DEA officials did not maintain completed documents related to 

each flight they determined as nonmission. Moreover, DEA officials did 

not consistently document comments related to the specific purpose for 

travel on either Form 379 or A-126—DEA’s primary source documents for 

executive flight records. As a result, we were unable to verify how DEA 

officials determined whether flights including a DOJ or DEA executive 

were for nonmission versus mission purposes. Additionally, since we 

could not use the documentation DEA provided us to identify a subset of 

nonmission flights for DEA executive travel, we determined that DEA 
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology 

Page 28 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

nonmission flight data records were not sufficiently reliable for the 

purposes of this report. 

We conducted this performance audit from March 2012 through February 

2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 

standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to 

obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for 

our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe 

that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings 

and conclusions based on our audit objectives. 
Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Justice 

Page 29 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Justice 
Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments 

Page 30 GAO-13-235 Executive Use of DOJ Aircraft 

Dave Maurer, (202) 512-9627 or maurerd@gao.gov

In addition to the contact named above, Chris Currie, Assistant Director; 

Chris Ferencik, Analyst in Charge; Richard Brown; Vanessa Dillard; Stan 

Kostyla; Octavia Parks; Janet Temko; and Lara Miklozek made significant 

contributions to the work. 

Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments 

GAO Contact 

Staff 

Acknowledgments 

(441068)
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