Wing of an airplane and sunset on the background

Flying Regulations

Reading about the Fulbright Program in the United States you may have come across the Fly America Act. The Fly America Act is based on U.S. law and it is applicable to international travel sponsored by the U.S. government. According to the Act, a Fulbright grantee must always travel by U.S. carrier, if the travel is paid by the U.S. government. With Fulbright Finland's U.S. grantees, this is rarely the case, because the majority of the grants for Americans in Finland are paid for by Finnish funding.

There is No Equivalent of the Fly America Act in the Finnish Law

In other words, even if a Fulbright grant is fully funded by Finnish government, Fulbright Finland does not require that its grantees fly only Finnish airlines, nor does Fulbright Finland wish to limit the grantee travel in any other way. Grantees are encouraged to look for a flight with best connections and price.

Every year there are a few Fulbright grantees, however, whose grants and/or travel are paid for by U.S. government funds. According to the U.S. Fly America Act these grantees must indeed use U.S. carriers. Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching and Study of the U.S. Institute program grantees as well as Fulbright Specialists need to obey the Fly America Act. U.S. partner organizations (e.g. IIE, IREX, FHI360, World Learning organization or the U.S. State Department) will provide guidance and help with travel arrangements for grantees participating in these programs.

 

If you are in any doubt about your status and about whether this applies toyou it is important that you check with the Fulbright Finland Foundation staff in Helsinki before you make any travel arrangements.