First Glasgow launch new state-of-the-art buses on airport service
8 Interesting Facts about the Glasgow Airport Express Service:
- The Glasgow Airport Express fleet measures in at over 109m, which is over double the height of the Finnieston Crane! (53m).
- Stacked top-to-bottom, the fleet comes in at over 43m, which is taller than the Tolbooth Steeple at Glasgow Cross (38.4m)
- The Glasgow Airport bus service operates 24 hours a day, 364 days a year at a frequency of up to every 10 minutes. The only day it doesn’t operate is Christmas Day.
- The route to the airport gives a unique view of the Glasgow skyline including sights around the city such as the SSE Hydro, the Finnieston Crane and George Square. (Especially from the top deck with the Panoramic windows!
- Every bus is fitted w ith the latest on-board facilities, including; luxury seating, smartphone wireless charging cradles, USB charging sockets, 4G WIFI and tables with wireless charging facilities, and real-time information on flights will also be displayed on-board your bus service
- The Glasgow Airport Express team carried over 1.9million passengers to and from the airport in 2018.
- It takes just 15 minutes to travel on the service from the city, directly to the airport.
- Based on the total passenger loadings, it would take just six Glasgow Airport Express double deckers to fill one of the new Emirates A380 double decker planes launching soon at the city’s airport.
First Glasgow have launched 10 new ultra-low emission vehicles for their premium Glasgow Airport Express service as part of the on-going investment plans, which provides a 24/7 fast and frequent link from the city centre to the airport.
The 10 new E400 city double decker buses built by Alexander Dennis in Falkirk will double the capacity on these popular services and the new vehicles will be in operation on the 500 service from Sunday, April 14th serving one of the busiest airports in the UK.
The new vehicles come with luxury double padded seating, free 4G WIFI, USB charging points as well as new state-of-the-art wireless charging facilities on both the tables and seatbacks, luggage racks and most important of all, ultra-low emission Euro VI diesel engines.
All 10 vehicles have also been fitted with the state-of-the-art SmartVision system, which replaces the traditional wing mirrors with a CCTV system fitted within the Driver’s cab to provide extra vision and safety. This system was originally trialled on the 75 services when the new vehicles were originally launched last October and now First Glasgow has extended the trial to all 10 of its Glasgow Airport Express service vehicles.
The 500 service runs from Glasgow City Centre to the airport in as little as 15 minutes. This is one of the Glasgow operator’s most popular services carrying over 1.9 million passengers annually and an open return ticket on this frequent service is just £13.50, available on the First Bus App, when you plan your journey in advance.
The new buses went on display to the public at a special launch event with Capital FM presenter Garry Spence entertaining the crowd at George Square in Glasgow city centre on Saturday, April 13th prior to the 10 new vehicles going into active service.
The event saw First Glasgow bring summer to the city centre early with giant deck chairs, prize giveaways and exclusive offers to celebrate their launch.
Glasgow Airport staff were in attendance to mark the launch of these new premium vehicles as part of their on-going partnership with First Glasgow, along with Visit Scotland and Alexander Dennis.
Mark Johnston, Managing Director at Glasgow Airport, said: “We are proud to welcome this latest First Bus fleet into operation and I’m really impressed with the new ADL E400 City model.
“As well as vastly improving capacity, the double-deckers offer a number of fantastic customer experience enhancements. I’m sure our passengers who choose to sit in the upper deck level will also appreciate the elevated views these new models bring.
“The First 500 Service provides vital connectivity between the airport and the city centre to millions of passengers each year and First Bus is to be congratulated for the significant investment made to introduce this new fleet.”
Marie Connell, Business Development Manager at Alexander Dennis Limited, stated:
“I supported the launch of the initial Enviro200 fleet on the Glasgow Airport Express route in 2015 and am delighted that we are taking our collaboration with First Glasgow on this popular route to a whole new level with these 10 new Enviro400.
“First Glasgow gave us a challenging brief – low emission double decks, which meet the weight restrictions demanded of LEB compliant vehicles without compromising on passenger comfort. The premium interior specification of these low emission Enviro400s ensures that all passengers will enjoy a first-class passenger experience travelling to and from the airport.”
Glasgow’s largest operator has now invested over £30 million in a total of 150 new ultra-low emission vehicles for Glasgow since October 2018. This highlights First Glasgow’s continuing commitment to improving the quality of offering to its customers while at the same time playing its role in improving air quality in the city.
Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director for First Glasgow, said: “It is exciting times for everyone at First Glasgow in being able to share these vehicles with the people of Glasgow and the rest of the world via our friends at Glasgow Airport. We have a great working relationship with the airport team and with these new state-of-the-art vehicles, we are providing their customers with a first-class experience on their journeys to and from the airport.
“This investment marks the end of our second phase of new bus launches linked with the Glasgow Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) and takes us a long way toward compliance for phase 2. We are delighted to have delivered such a vast range of service improvements to our customers since October last year and these latest buses are the next level for our premium express airport service.”
Find out more about these state-of-the-art Glasgow Airport Express vehicles here: www.firstglasgow.com/glasgowairportexpress
