Surge in coach travel to Birmingham Airport - Here's why
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In the first half of the year leading up to June, the coach operator based in Birmingham has witnessed a surge of nearly 40 per cent in passenger trips to and from Birmingham Airport, when compared to the corresponding period in 2023.
This surge in passenger numbers is a result of enhancements made to the services for Birmingham Airport earlier this year.
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Hide AdThis comes after Birmingham Airport being one of airports, putting up drop-off fees for drivers, now charging £5 for 15 minutes – up £1 on the previous charge.
These include the introduction of a new daily 466 service that links Birmingham Airport with Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, Heathrow and London, and an updated daily 100 service between Bristol and Birmingham, which brought Gloucester back into the Cross Country coach network.
In preparation for the school summer holidays, National Express has rolled out its new brand campaign ‘If you know, you go National Express’. This campaign is designed to change the way people perceive coach travel and to persuade them to opt for National Express as a smart alternative to other options such as driving, expensive rail travel or airport parking.


Catherine Woolfe, the customer and marketing director for National Express UK and Ireland, stated: “We persist in our efforts to expand routes that link our UK coach network with major airport destinations, and this surge in journeys shows that savvy customers are opting for the most economical and eco-friendly transport option.
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Hide Ad"Day and night, hundreds of services operate to every major airport and customers consistently choose us because they recognize that we are the most dependable, cost-effective and convenient option, with our exceptional coach drivers delivering them right to the airport terminal door.
"In view of the upcoming busy summer season, we are excited to offer even more customers affordable coach travel and a top-notch experience for their summer vacation.”
Nikki Bains, the head of planning, transport and strategy for Birmingham Airport, commented: “The Airport Surface Access Strategy 2023 outlines goals for augmenting sustainable public transport to and from Birmingham Airport. We are thrilled with the rise in the usage of coach services and consider these services as crucial in offering passengers sustainable transport alternatives.
“As an airport, our public transport connectivity is outstanding and the growth in these services attests to that.”
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