Patriot Express passengers arriving at Osan Air Base on Monday will be the first to enter South Korea through the base’s new air terminal.

Rather than Incheon International Airport, an hour’s drive from Seoul, the Osan terminal and facilities will be used by the majority of servicemembers moving to and from the peninsula on new duty assignments, according to the 51st Fighter Wing. It also will be available to space-available travelers using Air Mobility Command scheduled flights.

Osan is south of Seoul, near the Army’s Camp Humphreys, which is being developed as the central hub for troops in South Korea as well as the future U.S. Forces Korea command headquarters.

The new Osan terminal replaces one that had been operating for 43 years.

The two-story terminal is nearly five times larger than the old facility and includes such features as a joint reception center, a departure lounge and a passenger service center, the wing said. The building also was designed to protect people inside from effects of chemical weapons.

“This world-class facility will be one that our families and military members will walk through with pride,” Lt. Gen. Robert Allardice, 18th Air Force commander, said during dedication ceremonies last week, according to a wing news release.

From staff reports

Migrated