49 U.S.C. § 41106 — Airlift service

(a) Interstate Transportation: (1) Except as noted in (d), when the Secretary of Defense or a military department gets a contract for airlift service carrying passengers or property within the U.S. using CRAF-eligible aircraft (planes eligible for the civil reserve air fleet), that contract may only go to an air carrier that (A) has aircraft in the civil reserve air fleet, or offers to add them, and (B) holds a section 41102 certificate. (2) The Secretary of Transportation must act as quickly as possible on any certificate application to provide this airlift service. (b) Transportation Between the United States and Foreign Locations: Except as noted in (d), the same kind of airlift contract for flights between the U.S. and a foreign place must go to a carrier meeting the (a) requirements. (c) Transportation Between Foreign Locations: The same kind of airlift contract for flights between two foreign places must go to a carrier meeting the (a) requirements, whenever such a carrier is reasonably available. (d) Exception: If the Secretary of Defense decides no certified air carrier is able and willing to provide the airlift service, the Secretary of Defense may contract with an air carrier that doesn't hold a certificate. (e) CRAF-eligible Aircraft Defined: In this section, "CRAF-eligible aircraft" means aircraft the Secretary of Defense has determined can participate in the civil reserve air fleet.