381.1 Travel by Chartered or Private Aircraft

381.1 Travel by Chartered or Private Aircraft

A. Background

Transportation by aircraft in some instances is the most expeditious and economical means of travel for faculty, staff, and students when on official business and when traveling with university-sponsored educational or sports programs. To ensure against unnecessary risks while traveling by aircraft, a uniform policy is required.

B. Policy

Only regularly scheduled commercial airlines will be used for university travel. Travel by chartered, nonscheduled airlines or privately owned aircraft is not authorized, and the piloting of personal aircraft, whether owned, rented, or borrowed, by any employee while on university business is prohibited.

C. Guidelines

1. The following apply to charters through scheduled commercial airlines:

When circumstances call for the chartering of aircraft, the charter must be through a regularly scheduled commercial airline, and the aircraft must possess a valid Standard Airworthiness Certificate and have seating capacity not exceeding 40.

A certificate of insurance including Furman University as an additional insured is required from the airlines.

The person responsible for making charter arrangements is responsible for securing this insurance certificate and providing it to the Director of Administrative Services.

2. The following apply to travel on unscheduled airlines and privately owned aircraft:

Travel on unscheduled chartered airlines by Furman faculty, staff, and students is not authorized due to the greater safety risks and minimal liability insurance coverage.

Travel on private or industrial owned aircraft by Furman faculty, staff, and students is not authorized due to the frequent difficulty in obtaining the operational status of a privately owned aircraft and minimal liability insured coverage.

Exceptions to this policy can be made only by the President. Due to the reasons stated above, an exception will be granted only in most unusual circumstances, and in the case of student travel, there are no exceptions. Should a request for exception be desired for faculty and staff members, a special air carrier exception form must be obtained from the office of the Director of Administrative Services, completed, and submitted to the President for approval. The approved form with a certificate of insurance from the insure of the aircraft, naming Furman on the policy as an additional insured, must be filed with the Director of Administrative Services before the traveler is authorized to travel on unscheduled airlines or privately owned aircraft.

3. The University's aircraft liability insurance policy specifically excludes use of chartered aircraft for football team travel and the use of alumni owned aircraft. Therefore, use of chartered aircraft for football team travel or use of alumni owned aircraft is not authorized. There are no exceptions.

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