FEMA Scraps High-Tech Jet Plan Amid Scrutiny Over DHS Aircraft Spending

The Federal Emergency Management Agency withdrew a plan to lease two executive jets upgraded with military technology hours after posting a public contract solicitation last week. Three anonymous sources said FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton's team sought the jets without approval from Department of Homeland Security leadership. Sources said DHS leaders demanded that FEMA abandon the proposal after the plan drew scrutiny partly because of controversy over department aircraft purchases. A DHS spokesperson said: "This was an unauthorized post by an unauthorized individual and disciplinary action will be taken." FEMA did not respond to a request for comment.

The proposed jets would have advanced capabilities such as laser mapping and would be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for rapid response. Sources said the jets would primarily transport Hamilton and other senior officials during disasters or routine travel. Public records show that the solicitation has been removed from a government contracting website.

DHS spent $464.5 million to purchase eight Boeing 737s and two Gulfstream G-650 jets for a plan to operate deportation flights itself. Some critics said in May that DHS paid well above market value for the fleet. DHS also spent $885.6 million in the last year on contracted charter airline services for Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights. DHS has now awarded Eastern Air Express a $380 million contract to fly and maintain government-furnished aircraft in the fleet. Federal contracting records show that the agreement began in August 2026 and runs through February 2028. The contract's cost per flight hour and the extent of Eastern Air Express's other operational responsibilities are unclear. Neither Eastern Air Express CEO Jeff Conry nor DHS responded to requests for comment about the contract.

DHS spending on the fleet and charter airline contracts for ICE flights exceeds $1.6 billion. Flight records and aviation sources indicate that DHS has accumulated aircraft faster than the department can put the aircraft into use. Many purchased aircraft have remained at a maintenance hangar in Louisiana, and there are no plans to use most for deportations. The purchased fleet has not conducted a single deportation flight since DHS acquired the aircraft between late 2025 and early 2026. Two DHS aircraft moved to another maintenance facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, in recent weeks.

Flight-tracking data and members of Congress indicate that one Gulfstream jet has transported administration officials. Democratic members of Congress said passengers on these flights have included FBI Director Kash Patel and members of the first family. Flight-tracking data show that one plane traveled from Washington, DC, to Dallas on the dates of last month's Republican midterm convention, although the passengers are unknown. A congressional source said DHS privately told lawmakers that DHS expects to use only three of seven Boeing 737 aircraft for deportations. The source said the other aircraft would serve members of Congress and other government officials, a departure from the stated purchase rationale.

Some lawmakers are skeptical about the aircraft plans, including whether the planes will transport members of Congress. The congressional source said nobody requested ICE aircraft for official congressional travel, which usually uses commercial aircraft or charters. An aviation insider familiar with government charter operations said DHS paid a "ridiculous price" for the aircraft and nobody knows how the proposed solution will work.

FEMA already funds aerial assets such as search-and-rescue teams and often uses military aircraft for logistics. FEMA leaders have traditionally used Federal Aviation Administration, Air Force or Coast Guard aircraft to reach disaster zones and commercial flights for routine travel. After DHS halted the proposal last week, Hamilton sent a memo emphasizing that FEMA should support, coordinate and supplement local disaster efforts rather than replace those efforts. Hamilton's memo called for sound judgment, fiscal responsibility and accountability in directing readiness resources. Former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell briefly explored buying a disaster-travel aircraft during the Biden administration, but the proposal did not progress; Criswell said no true cost-benefit emerged and called two dedicated jets an unnecessary expense and poor use of taxpayer money.

The administration vowed last year to eliminate FEMA, describing the agency as wasteful and unnecessary while urging states to assume more disaster responsibilities. Then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and chief adviser Corey Lewandowski removed Hamilton as acting FEMA administrator after Hamilton told Congress that FEMA should not be eliminated. Noem and Lewandowski repeatedly attacked FEMA and took steps that reduced the workforce, damaged morale and weakened federal disaster readiness. After removing Noem, President Donald Trump nominated Hamilton as permanent FEMA leader, and the Senate confirmed Hamilton in August. Sources familiar with Trump's decision said Hamilton returned largely to stabilize FEMA and avoid damaging headlines.

Hamilton has tried to reorganize parts of FEMA since returning but has taken few major steps to advance the administration's effort to reduce FEMA's reach. The administration has not yet faced a catastrophe on the scale that tested past presidencies. Career FEMA leaders, including many who left amid administration cuts, worry that FEMA may lack the personnel or capacity needed when such a disaster occurs.