Fairchild opens space-available passenger terminal
Last updated 3/30/2016 at 2:48pm
Addressing both comfort and convenience at the same time, Fairchild Air Force Base officially opened its new passenger terminal during ribbon cutting ceremonies March 25.
The new terminal replaces the old facility located at the base's operations building. Its new location in the 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron's cargo handling building centralizes the mission of accommodating passengers, facilitation personnel deployment and moving cargo into one building.
It also upgrades accommodations for space-available or "Space-A" passengers taking advantage of a program mandated by Congress and Air Mobility Command enabling military personnel to fly anywhere in the world if there's an open spot on a flight headed in a specific direction. The layout of the old passenger terminal caused additional work for personnel and inconvenience for passengers.
For instance, the former terminal's restrooms were located outside the secured area so passengers wishing to use the facilities had to leave and then return and be rescreened for reentry. The new facility, which utilizes TSA-style security measures run by base personnel, eliminates this problem.
Besides the typical pre-gate lobby and screened-area seating seen in most civilian terminals, Fairchild's new passenger terminal also has a family room with separate rooms for kids to play, complete with toys, and one for mothers to take care of infants. There is also a separate room for distinguished visitors just off the pre-gate lobby so that VIPs visiting the base can come and go without going through the main boarding gate.
"Often, we arrive at bases and deploy from bases from passenger terminals just like this one and the passenger terminal helps create and leave the first and last impression (of a military installation)," 92nd Mission Support commander Col. David Stookey said at the ribbon cutting ceremony. "The mission of the passenger terminal is to provide an interface between ground and air transportation and create a positive experience for our military civilian and retiree customers."
Maj. Lance Vann, 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, thanked the Fairchild wing and Air Mobility Command for the financing and manpower with which to build the new terminal. The cost of the terminal was $380,000, and it was designed and built through collaboration between Air Mobility Command engineering, contracting and financing services and contractor Sustainable-Takisaki Joint Venture out of Fife, Wash.
"The passenger terminal provides impressions on how Team Fairchild is judged," Vann said.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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