A COACH route linking Ipswich to Stansted Airport is to be axed due to a lack of people using the service.The 737 Jetlink Service, run by AirLinks the National Express Airport Services Division, has been in operation for five years but is now being withdrawn.
By Matt Eley
A COACH route linking Ipswich to Stansted Airport is to be axed due to a lack of people using the service.
The 737 Jetlink Service, run by AirLinks the National Express Airport Services Division, has been in operation for five years but is now being withdrawn.
Steve Way, AirLinks commercial director, said: "Over the five-year history of the coach service between Ipswich, Colchester and Stansted a number of initiatives have been undertaken to improve passenger numbers.
"These have included leaflet drops in and around the major towns on the route, advertising the service regularly throughout the summer season in the local press.
"Service timings have also been continually reviewed and altered to match flight departure times more closely and the addition of two extra journeys from September 2001 to create a two hourly service throughout the day.
"However, over the past six months, we, along with many others in the travel industry, have experienced a downturn in passenger numbers on our coach services to and from airports, and we have had to closely evaluate all of them.
"In the case of the 737 Jetlink service, passenger numbers had never been good but unfortunately, with this dip in demand, the service, which has never been financially viable, is now making a substantial loss.
"As we operate this service on a wholly commercial basis, it is essential that passenger numbers and profitability are closely monitored to ensure that our resources are used as effectively as possible."
He continued: "As a consequence of this process we have reluctantly decided to withdraw the 737 service, in the belief that we can better deploy our resources to meet increased demand in other locations and to provide additional services on other parts of our network."
n Do you think Ipswich needs a coach link to Stansted? Let us know your views by writing to Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN.
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