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Riding the bus after a long plane trip is no fun. NZ Bus has recognised this by upgrading their Airport Flyer fleet and creatively retrofitting the interior to include free internet connections. ?The buses were the first in New Zealand to be kitted out with free WiFi, which will let passengers with iPods, laptop computers and some mobile phones connect to the internet,? said NZ Bus director Bruce Emson. The new buses cost $4 million and will work the routes to and from the Hutt Valley and the airport every 15 minutes, and the extra comforts means the price of bus travel will also rise. He expected business people would use the service to work, reply to emails and catch up on news. ?We want to persuade travellers to ditch private cars and taxis and take the Airport Flyer to and from Wellington Airport,? he said. Wellington Airport has provided free WiFi at the airport since 2006. Wellington Airport has welcomed the new Airport Flyer bus service, which was launched last week by Transport Minister, Steven Joyce. Airport Chairman David Newman says Wellington Airport has improved its Airport Flyer facilities and is pleased to see the commitment NZ Bus has given the Airport Flyer service. ?Good airports have a good understanding of customers? needs and we welcome the service-oriented approach of NZ Bus,? said Mr Newman. The buses offer leather coach-style seats, more leg room, air conditioning, larger luggage storage space and improved wheelchair and push-chair access. ?Travellers will benefit from increased frequencies and an extension of the service to meet late night arrivals. The provision of free Wi-Fi sits well for our business customers who also enjoy this service in the Airport?s terminal,? said Mr Newman. The numbers of travellers using the bus service has increasing by 50% over the last year, and Mr Newman put this rapid growth down to the launch of Pacific Blue domestic services. ?We expect to see bus patronage continue to grow, especially with Jetstar domestic passengers. ?We will continue to support the increased use of buses as efficient access to the airport is important for future passenger growth,? said Mr Newman. The Airport Flyer carried 600,000 passengers last year.
