The Air Force is looking for a contractor to provide commercial shuttle service between Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Frankfurt Airport. The intent would be to have the service begin in August and provide three shuttles daily in either direction, according to a notice posted on a U.S. government website. (Jared Lovett/U.S. Air Force)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The Air Force wants to establish an airport shuttle between Ramstein Air Base and Frankfurt this summer, a move that may save time and money for service members living in the largest overseas U.S. military community.
The intent is to partner with a commercial shuttle operator starting around Aug. 1, according to a notice on Sam.gov, the federal government’s contracting website.
The notice lists potential terms of service for prospective businesses, including a shuttle that departs and returns three times daily from both Ramstein and Frankfurt Airport, transporting from one to 40 passengers per ride.
The schedule must align with the timetables of the major U.S. carriers flying in and out of the airport, according to the notice.
A shuttle could alleviate much of the hassle and expense Americans in the Kaiserslautern Military Community encounter when making the roughly 75-mile trip to the airport, which is a major European hub.
Fees for commercial shuttles can be as much as $400 round trip for a single rider. Costs have remained high since the COVID-19 pandemic, when shuttle operators were forced to raise prices because they could transport only one family at a time. Before the pandemic, round trips in a commercial van were generally $80 per person.
Bus or train transportation to and from the airport is less expensive but not always convenient for larger families or service members living on base without a car. Trains require at least one connection and strikes have occurred frequently in recent months.
The cost for riders at Ramstein would be determined by the shuttle operator, according to the announcement, which says the contract length is five years.
Other overseas U.S. military bases provide airport shuttle services for leisure travel. In Japan, for example, Yokota Air Base provides two daily buses to and from Narita and Haneda airports in Tokyo.
Riders ages 13 and up pay $40 for a seat to or from Narita; for those under 13 the cost is $30. The price for Haneda service is $20 per trip for all ages.
For the Ramstein shuttle, the vendor would have to return a portion of sales to the 86th Force Support Squadron, most likely through a fixed monthly rate of $7,500, according to the notice.
Besides setting passenger fees, the contractor would be responsible for customer reservations, service, cancellations, scheduling, refunds and ridership liability.
The notice was first published in December and has been amended several times. Last week, the Air Force posted an invitation to prospective vendors to attend Industry Day on March 13 at Kapaun Air Station in Kaiserslautern.
Hosted by the 700th Contracting Squadron and the 86th Force Support Squadron, the event is intended to ensure that bidders understand the shuttle requirements before a formal solicitation goes out, according to the document.
The request for information notice is set to expire March 30.
