MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The Patriot Express is slated to continue service here with minor changes effective April 2.
The Patriot Express is now scheduled to arrive here Saturdays and depart for Yokota for a layover before continuing on to Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
Space Available travelers or service members traveling without orders aboard the Patriot Express are required to be at the air terminal here no later than 10:05 a.m. Saturdays.
Anyone wishing to board the Patriot Express through Space Available travel can contact the air terminal for more information.
Space Required travelers or service members traveling with funded orders to Seattle will need to be at the air terminal no later than 11:05 a.m for check-in process.
Space Required travelers who are under permanent change of station orders will also have the option to check in early 3 - 6:30 p.m. Fridays.
Gunnery Sgt. Joaquin Navarro, air transportation division staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge here said, “North American Airlines remains the carrier for the Patriot Express, but the aircraft will change from a Boeing 757 to a Boeing 767. This aircraft is more modern, larger and a lot more fuel efficient than the previous DC-10 and current Boeing 757.”
Also, Misawa and Anchorage will no longer be on the same leg as Iwakuni. Instead, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan has been added to the route.
On Fridays, the Patriot Express will leave Seattle to Yokota, then continue to Iwakuni and finally arrive at Kadena.
After staying overnight in Kadena, the Patriot Express will journey back to Seattle, following the same route in reverse on Saturdays.
“I think (adding Okinawa) is one of the key elements,” said Lt. Cmdr. Keith Applegate, station logistics officer. “It’s a big win for us. Okinawa is great because it helps folks traveling for temporary additional duties to Okinawa and for space available travelers. People can get down to Kadena with the possibility of hops to Hawaii or places further south.”
Shuttle bus service will continue to provide transportation to the air terminal for accompanied personnel residing in temporary lodging from all lodges on Saturdays.
The bus will arrive at the Nishiki Lodge at 10 a.m., the Kintai Inn at 10:18 a.m., and the Monzen Lodge at 10:36 a.m. in order to arrive at the air terminal at 11 a.m. The shuttle will wait at each location for approximately 15 minutes.
Unaccompanied service members requiring transportation to the air terminal can use the regular shuttle bus or meet the Patriot Express Shuttle at its scheduled locations.
Travelers aboard the Patriot Express with a cat or dog can request a space for their pet to travel from here to Seattle with certain requirements.
Pet owners planning to fly aboard the Patriot Express are encouraged to reserve space for their pets early through the Traffic Management Office here due to limited space on the aircraft.
According to information released by TMO, each traveler can request a maximum of two pet spaces, and is required to have a pet health certificate no more than 10 days old and vaccination records no more than a year old.
Pets must travel in a hard cage with enough room for the pet to stand up and turn around in.
Pet fees are as follow: 70 pounds and under – $110, 70 to 139 pounds – $220 and 140 to 150 pounds – $330.
The cage in which the pet travels is included in the weight limit.
Each traveler aboard the Patriot Express is allowed two pieces of luggage up to 70 pounds each and one carry-on.
Any luggage weighing more than 70 pounds will have an extra fee of $110. Luggage exceeding 100 pounds will not be permitted onboard the aircraft.
For additional information, contact the air terminal at 253-5509 or TMO at 253-6256.