The General Services Administration has awarded air travel contracts worth a total of $2.2 billion to eight carriers for the City Pair Program in 2019, providing a 49 percent discount on airfare rates for every federal government official air travel.
GSA said Wednesday the effort will help the government save $2.4 million in taxpayer money next year.
The agency selected carriers for the program on the basis of the availability of their non-stop service, flights and jet service, total number of flights, average elapsed flight time and service price.
 Implementation of the discount will start on Oct. 1.
The value of the 2019 air travel contracts is an increase from that of the 2018 contracts’, which totaled $2.1 billion.