July 1, 1990
25.4.80
The bargaining agent requested an interpretation of FSD 45 as to whether it was the intent of the Directive to prohibit returning to a major airport with no stopover, or even with an overnight, if the purpose was simply to make connections at a major international airport.
The Administrative Committee considered and agreed with the report of the Foreign Service Directives Committee in that paragraph 7 of an all posts telex of April 1, 1987 covered the situation. The paragraph read as follows:
"7. Circuit travel. Our purpose is to interpret the Directive as liberally as possible within the constraints of the wording of the Directive. No mention appears in the Directive concerning side trips, circuitous travel, or back-tracking. However the instruction to the Directive states, in (D) that either the point of departure or the destination must be the post. Hence the following guideline:
A) Travel from the post. In this case, the post is the origin. In a valid travel itinerary under FSD 45, the post would only appear twice, once as the origin and then at the conclusion of the trip. If the post appears more often (other than as a transit stop to change planes) then more than one trip is involved, and recovery would have to be made.
B) Travel to the post. Here the post is the destination. In a valid travel itinerary under FSD 45, the post would only appear once. If it appears more often (other than as a transit stop to change planes) i.e. the visitor has reached the post, travelled to a second location and returned to the post, then more than one trip is involved and recovery would have to be made."
The Administrative Committee considered and agreed with the recommendation of the Foreign Service Directives Committee:
a) to reissue/or make reference to this All Posts Telex to ensure that the instructions regarding the use of FSD 45 are clear; and
b) in conjunction with the triennial review to reprint and include these instructions with the next Foreign Service Directives.