AAR Aircraft Services--Costs, B-291670.6, May 12, 2003

B-291670.6 May 12, 2003 Jump To VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights The protests were clearly meritorious. Detailed performance and design requirements were identified for the aircraft. A number of the aircraft makes/models that may be proposed to meet this specification are available in different "dash numbers" (for example: Boeing 737-300 and 737-400 or MD-83 and MD-88). Engines installed on these aircraft can have different "dash numbers" (for example PW JT8D-217A and . All of which were stated to be equal in value: aircraft acceptability. Offerors were informed that "[a] comparison should be made with the requirements of . . . Including one that would provide a Boeing 737-300 model aircraft. /2/ Initial proposals were evaluated by the agency's Technical Evaluation Team. View Decision AAR Aircraft Services--Costs, B-291670.6, May 12, 2003 * REDACTED DECISION DIGEST Attorneys DECISION AAR Aircraft Services requests that we recommend that it be reimbursed the costs of filing and pursuing its protests of the award of a contract to CSI, Inc. under request for proposals (RFP) No. MS-02-R-0012, issued by the United States Marshals Service, Department of Justice, for the lease and maintenance of jet aircraft for prisoner transfer and other purposes. We grant the request, and recommend that AAR be reimbursed the reasonable costs of filing and pursuing its protests, including those incurred in pursuing this request. The United States Marshals Service currently operates a fleet of aircraft to transport prisoners and criminal aliens throughout the United States and to certain countries in Latin America. The RFP sought fixed-price proposals for the lease and maintenance of six "large jet passenger/transport aircraft" for up to 10 years to replace the agency's aircraft. Detailed performance and design requirements were identified for the aircraft, for example: All aircraft and engines offered by a vendor must be the same model from the same manufacturer. A number of the aircraft makes/models that may be proposed to meet this specification are available in different "dash numbers" (for example: Boeing 737-300 and 737-400 or MD-83 and MD-88). Similarly, engines installed on these aircraft can have different "dash numbers" (for example PW JT8D-217A and --219, or CFM 56-3B1 and --3C1). RFP Sec. II, Part A, Para. C. In addition, the proposed aircraft "must be able to meet the . . . range and performance requirements" identified in three trip scenarios stated in the RFP assuming certain specified parameters, such as average passenger weight, fuel density, reserve fuel and maneuver fuel allowances. With respect to the second trip scenario, the RFP required that the proposed aircraft be able to fly 2,000 nautical miles, into a 55-knot headwind, carrying 140 passengers. RFP Sec. II, Part A, Para. G. The RFP provided for award on the basis of a cost/technical tradeoff considering the following evaluation factors, all of which were stated to be equal in value: aircraft acceptability, contractor's maintenance plan, past performance, price evaluation, and delivery schedule. RFP Sec. VII, Para. 1. With respect to the aircraft acceptability factor, offerors were informed that "[a] comparison should be made with the requirements of . . . Specifications for Replacement Large Transport Aircraft to show that the aircraft complies with and[/]or exceeds the minimum requirements." RFP Sec. IV, Para. 1(C)1(a). The Marshals Service received four timely proposals in response to the RFP, including those of AAR and CSI. /1/ AAR offered to provide a [deleted] aircraft. CSI offered, as its base proposal, to provide a MD90 model aircraft. CSI also offered several alternative proposals, including one that would provide a Boeing 737-300 model aircraft. /2/ Initial proposals were evaluated by the agency's Technical Evaluation Team, discussions conducted, and final proposal revisions received and evaluated. The evaluation results were provided to the agency's source selection authority, who selected CSI's proposal of Boeing 737-300 model aircraft for award, stating: In summary, only three of the four offerors have submitted proposals that meet all of the requirements to be awarded the contract for the Large Aircraft Replacement Program. Of those three, CSI proposed two aircraft that met and exceeded the aircraft acceptability requirements, and they were the MD90s and Boeing 737-300s. Of these aircraft, the Boeing 737-300 exhibits the best cost effective solution based on the total operational cost for the aircraft. CSI also provided an acceptable Maintenance/Logistics Plan and they rated equally well to all offerors on Past Performance.