Press releases

Arriva, local bus operator and leading European transport provider, is set to make travelling to and from Liverpool John Lennon Airport a truly European experience.

And the local bus operator is keen to extend the Airlink 500 bus service and build the route in readiness for the huge influx of people expected to visit Merseyside during the Capital of Culture year in 2008.

Taking over the Airport services which provide transport between the Airport and Liverpool City Centre, Arriva is spreading the word about its services and will be working with international agencies to ensure that visitors are aware of the local transport network before they arrive.

Multilingual timetables will be available at the Airport and on the Internet ( www.arrivabus.co.uk ). Arriva is also establishing links with Airports across Europe to get the Merseyside message across.

Previously operated by local bus company Selwyns under contract to Merseytravel, this is the first time that the service will run on a commercial basis, with no local authority funding. And Arriva has bought three new single deck buses to improve comfort and reliability.

Councillor Mark Dowd, chair of Merseytravel, said:

We launched the Airport service as part of our objective to provide the best possible public transport system to meet the needs of all the travelling public on Merseyside.

It has proved to be extremely popular and we're pleased Arriva has now taken over responsibility for this route.

Robin Tudor, Liverpool John Lennon Airport's corporate affairs manager added:

Arriva has been instrumental in improving public transport access with the Airport in recent years, bringing new services that provide links throughout the region.

The 500 city centre express service has been an amazing success and the Airport is already impressed with Arriva's plans to further enhance this essential service. Customer care is clearly a priority for Arriva and their commitment to offer as seamless a service as possible can only help to achieve the airport's aim of attracting more passengers to use public transport.

Bob Hind, managing director of Arriva North West and Wales, said:

Liverpool is a wonderful city with lots to do and see. We want to make sure that visitors are well informed before they arrive, so they can take advantage of the bus network and use it to its full potential. The airport is a major gateway to the city: we can provide visitors' transport on arrival and throughout their stay in Liverpool.

We will continue to provide the same excellent service levels that customers have come to expect. However we will be improving the timetable in time to better integrate with flight landings and departures, to give a more seamless service.

Arriva is also extending its popular multi-journey tickets to be available on the Airlink 500 service – bringing even more value for money. And customers arriving at the Airport can buy their Liverpool multi-journey ticket on board – in either sterling or euros.

Airlink 500 also provides a useful fast link for commuters working at business parks near to the airport, with services every 30 minutes, seven days a week. All vehicles are fitted with the latest CCTV equipment.

Notes to editors

In Merseyside

• Arriva's buses travel some 35 million miles in Merseyside every year - that's the equivalent of travelling to the moon and back more than 70 times.
• Arriva is one of the top five employers with some 2,500 employees in Merseyside.
• Arriva is Merseyside's biggest bus operator, providing around 65 per cent of the region's bus services.
• More than 93 per cent of Arriva's Merseyside services operate without any local authority funding.

And across Europe:

• Arriva is one of the largest private sector providers of passenger transport in mainland Europe, employing more than 30,000 people and providing more than one billion passenger journeys every year.
• Arriva operates buses, trains, commuter coaches and water buses in eight European countries including Denmark, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
• Arriva is one of the UK's largest bus operators, with over 6,000 buses. It is the biggest operator in London, its 1,400 buses providing nearly 20 per cent of the capital's bus services.
• Outside London, Arriva's local bus services operate in major urban areas like Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester, Glasgow and Newcastle. There is a strong presence in the Midlands and Home Counties, with a mix of interurban trunk routes and market town urban networks. Arriva buses also provide important links in rural areas like North Wales.