News Release (03/10/11)
Improved Flyer service helps secure travel award
Over 600,000 passengers have used Bristol Airport’s Flyer bus in the last year – the highest ever number of public transport journeys to and from the Airport in a rolling twelve month period.
Operated by First in partnership with Bristol Airport, the Flyer provides bus services between Clifton, Bristol City Centre, Bristol Temple Meads and the Airport. The service carried just 60,000 passengers in its first year of operation in the late nineties.
The record figure includes customers and staff, with the increase in employee usage helping Bristol Airport win a silver award in the recent West of England Travel Plan Awards. Now in their tenth year, the Awards celebrate the achievements of employers of all sizes in implementing plans for sustainable staff travel.
An all-new fleet of vehicles and improved timetable helped drive the increase in passengers using the Flyer service and contributed to the award win. All 12 vehicles are now wheelchair accessible, feature free wifi and power points for charging laptops and phones, and enable the service to operate every ten minutes at peak times, substantially reducing connection times with rail and coach services from key locations in the Airport’s growing catchment area.
Peter Downes, Ground Transportation Commercial Manager at Bristol Airport, said:
“These latest figures are a thumbs up from the travelling public for the new Flyer vehicles and enhanced timetable. By making the bus service more accessible, comfortable and convenient we are making good progress towards achieving our target of 15 per cent of air passengers using public transport.”
Marc Reddy, Regional Commercial and Business Growth Director for First in the South West and Wales, said:
“We are thrilled to have seen the growth in patronage on the Airport Flyer. Over the past couple of years we have invested around £2 million in upgrading the fleet of vehicles operating the service. The new buses are great – they offer customers increased comfort and with Euro 5 engines and our DriveGreen system fitted on them too they are an environmentally friendly alternative to travelling by private car. Certainly these two factors, along with the fact that they run frequently, help to make the decision to travel by bus even easier.”