ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Yigo — From March a new military flight service will take off from Andersen Air Force Base to the U.S. mainland.
The Patriot Express will fly passengers between Andersen and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from March 7, with a flight scheduled for March 21 and thereafter, according to Master Sgt. Richard Ebensberger, a public affairs officer at Andersen.
Each flight can carry 237 people, he said.
In an interview in December, Ebensberger said, “This flight will run from Guam to the Port of Seattle. From there, folks will fly commercial of their choosing.”
The Patriot Express, also known as a “Cat B” flight, is operated by DoD-contracted commercial airlines to provide transportation for military members on official duty, including “permanent change of station,” or PCS, and temporary duty, or TDY, personnel.
The contracted commercial airline or airlines for this route have not yet been announced.
The flights will be free for PCS or TDY members on military orders. Outside of that group, passengers, which may include retired military members, dependents, or military members not on orders, will be expected to pay $35.
The military added the Patriot Express flights to provide “more options for those with PCS standing or going TDY,” Ebensberger said. Another added benefit is the ability to transport pets, he added.
Other military installations in both the Pacific and Europe offer Patriot Express flights.
