First Leicester will start to wind down the trial of an Aircoach service between the city and Birmingham Airport after 31 August.
The operator says that while it monitored traveller numbers over the key spring and summer period, patronage did not reach a viable level. Although the trial will conclude on 31 August, specific trips upon which bookings have already been made will continue until 31 October, with those journeys remaining open to other travellers.
Aircoach launched in September 2023 using several 16-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minicoaches that joined the group via its purchase of Airporter in Northern Ireland during 2022.
Seats were offered from £9, and the service was promoted as running every hour, 24/7 at launch, although the Aircoach website shows that the timetable was amended from mid-August to run every 90 minutes during the day and two-hourly overnight.
First Leicester said at launch that it expected the Aircoach service to be popular among leisure and business travellers. The same branding as First’s established operation in Ireland that is focused on Dublin Airport was used, debuting that identity in England.
“Over the spring and summer months we have been monitoring bookings to evaluate sustainability of the service, but unfortunately due to low numbers of people travelling, we have made the decision to discontinue the service from 31 August,” a spokesperson says.
