COACHES will run between Ipswich town centre and Stansted airport from May.

COACHES will run between Ipswich town centre and Stansted airport from May.

The route will be the only direct public transport link between the airport and the town and Excel Coaches will operate services every two hours.

The proportion of airport passengers using bus and coaches has grown from 7.6 per cent in 2001 to 19pc in 2007.

The airport now has more than 550 scheduled departures every day to more than 50 destinations around the UK.

Nicola Hooper, Stansted's head of airline relationships and transport, said: “More than 40pc of our passengers use public transport to get to and from the airport - the highest figure for a major UK airport and one of the highest in Europe.

“We believe the new coach service will be an attractive alternative for passengers travelling from Ipswich and will encourage them to use public transport to get to the airport rather than their car.”

Guy McGregor, Suffolk County Council portfolio holder for roads and transport, welcomed the plans.

“The coach service will offer an excellent link to the airport which will be extremely convenient for people in the town.

“It is a service that I intend to use when travelling to the airport.”

Graham Hayden, managing director of Excel coaches, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with BAA and are extremely confident it will meet the demand for passengers travelling from Ipswich to Stansted.

“The service will help us build on our own route network at the airport and will provide an important link for people living in the East of England.”

The coach service will begin operating on May 1 and will take 1 hour and 15 minutes. The price of a single fare will be £15 and a return fare will be £20.

Will you use the service? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk