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Melbourne Airport’s SkyBus is expanding its services to offer both landside and airside transportation.
The company, owned by Kinetic, already provides express bus services between Melbourne Airport and the CBD, as well as the CBD and Avalon Airport.
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The new three-year contract commencing this month includes airside buses not previously provided by SkyBus, as well as new on-board information displays for the buses operating to the airport’s value car parks.
“SkyBus has been with us for more than 30 years and we look forward to continuing to work with the team to deliver a seamless, integrated experience for our travellers,” he said.
“This new contract will enhance the ground transportation services, with SkyBus extending its expertise to provide airside bus services on the tarmac.
“By 2042 we expect to be welcoming more than 76 million passengers a year, so it’s vital that we continue to strengthen our transport solutions for our passengers.”
SkyBus says it is now in its fourth decade of operations at Melbourne Airport, and according to the chief executive of Kinetic, Michael Sewards, it carries around 3 million passengers across its three locations – Melbourne, Avalon, and Hobart Airports – every year.
“SkyBus is a well-established airport player, with a large and growing international footprint and a long history in providing airport and transfer services.”
“We’re proud to continue working with Melbourne Airport and support its continued growth and success.”
Melbourne Airport last year called for the Victorian government to add more public bus services, saying that staff and passengers from the north and west of Melbourne are being “let down” by a lack of local bus services.
Chief of ground transport Jai McDermott said at the time that travellers and staff based near the airport are often forced to drive, as cabs are reluctant to take people to local destinations.
“Improved suburban bus connections would help overcome this problem while unlocking more job opportunities for more people in Melbourne’s north and west by providing better transport options,” he said.
The expansion of the SkyBus contract comes as the airport’s long-delayed rail link looks to be finally seeing some movement, with a memorandum of understanding signed between the airport and the state and federal governments in March.
The airport last year dropped its demand for an underground link and agreed to the state government’s preferred above-ground option, and work has already begun on the interchange at Sunshine Station. The Commonwealth last month confirmed an extra $2 billion in federal funding.
