Wellington Airport confirms next steps for Airport Flyer

Wellington Airport has confirmed it will launch a new and improved bus service for Airport travellers next year.

The replacement service will deliver more frequent and reliable scheduling, a seven-day service, and access to Snapper and Metlink’s Real Time Information screens. It will also transition to electric buses in future. The service will run from the Airport to the CBD, providing connections to further destinations on the public transport network.

Wellington Airport is working with established bus operator Tranzit for the replacement service after NZ Bus confirmed it does not intend to operate the Airport Flyer beyond its licence expiry at the end of November. The last date for the service will be 27 November 2020.

“We acknowledge the importance of a reliable bus service and we are working hard to get a replacement up and running as soon as possible,” said Leanne Gibson, GM of Facilities, Transport, and Technology.

“The impact of Covid-19 has made it extremely challenging for operators to run the service, with passenger numbers dropping to just 1% of normal during the level 4 lockdown in April.

“Domestic passenger numbers are climbing, reaching around 60% of normal in recent months and future growth looks positive. The Airport bus has been run successfully as a commercial service in the past and it will be again.

“We are confident Tranzit will provide a great service for our passengers and we are now focusing our time on agreeing the details of the new service with Tranzit, including a restart date. We would like to acknowledge the more than 10 years of service NZ Bus has provided to Wellingtonians on the Airport route.

“In the meantime, there are other options available for Airport travellers, including the public bus and shuttles, taxis and app-based pick up which all have comparable costs. There are also a wide range of parking options, free pick-up and drop-off zones and two car share operators available to and from the airport.”

For further information about the transport and parking options available to and from the airport, visit our transport and parking pages.

Background

Tranzit has been selected as the preferred operator following a recent tender process. The tender process was interrupted due to Covid-19, meaning a new service could not be established prior to 30 November. The incumbent supplier NZ Bus is unable to extend their current service.