New shuttle takes pets to Narita Airport

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. A.C. Eggman
  • 35th Fighter Wing public affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  Don't be surprised if you hear a bark or a meow when you pass by the Information, Tickets and Tours new shuttle bus.

The new shuttle bus, affectionately referred to as the "pet bus," was purchased after the Patriot Express Space-A flights were cancelled from Misawa in October. The loss of the flights left many pet owners with fewer choices to ship their pets home or to their next duty station.

"This is a big deal for Misawa," said Col. Joel Malone, 35th Fighter Wing vice commander, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the Misawa Collocated Club April 27. "It took a lot of effort. It is really difficult to drive pets down and back from the (Narita) airport. So, the 35th Services Squadron went out and found a solution for families with pets."

One of five IT&T tour buses, the 41-seat bus has one difference - it can carry the four-legged "family members" year round. The compartment below where luggage is normally stored is air conditioned and heated, said Monika Mulrooney, IT&T manager.

"The new compartment underneath has air conditioning and a heater," she said. "The bus driver can monitor the temperature from inside the bus."

The custom built $310,000 bus can carry up to six small cages or one medium-sized cage and three to four small cages in one trip.

"It is imperative people make reservations ahead of time because of the limited space," said Mrs. Mulrooney. Pets are not allowed inside the bus because of allergies and other concerns.

The weekly trip to Narita Airport can take 12 hours or longer depending on the weather.
"The new shuttle won't be driven to the airport if no pets are on board," said Mrs. Mulrooney. "We want to extend the life of our investment."

The shuttle leaves Misawa at 10 p.m. Friday and arrives at 10 a.m. Saturday at Narita and then goes to Yokota, if people want to try and take the rotator out of there. The cost for the shuttle is $75 per pet and $70 per person.

"This is a great solution," said Colonel Malone. "I think people will be very satisfied and this will benefit families for years to come."