More free bus rides for JB residents who fly from Changi.

Date: 4 March 2013

More free bus rides for JB residents who fly from Changi.

Four more carriers have started offering free cross-border bus rides to attract Johor residents to fly from Changi Airport. The move by Singapore Airlines (SIA), SilkAir and Jetstar's Singapore and Australia arms will put Changi one up on its Malaysian rival if traffic is channelled away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, industry watchers said.

Budget carrier Tiger Airways launched the service - which is operated by bus firm Transtar - in September 2010. Jetstar hopped on last month while SIA and SilkAir came on board Friday.

Anyone can get on the buses, where the cost is up to $7 for a one-way journey, but the ride is complimentary for passengers of the five carriers, including Tiger. The cost is shared between Changi Airport Group, which introduced the service, and the carriers, all of which declined to give details.

Buses depart 13 times a day from downtown Johor Baru, and passengers at Changi can also hop on board for the return journey.

After clearing immigration and Customs at the Malaysia and Singapore checkpoints, they stop at several places including Marsiling, Woodlands and Punggol, before heading to Changi Airport. The total journey takes between one and two hours depending on the time and day of the week. A flight from Johor's Senai Airport to the main KL airport takes less than an hour.

Changi's free shuttle service is one of several tie-ups the airport has introduced with partner carriers to boost traffic in an increasingly competitive landscape. With the demand for air travel in the Asia-Pacific expected to surpass the rate of growth in all other regions, airports are vying for a greater market share.

Airlines are also going all out to woo travellers - some with new services and facilities, and others with low fares. New opportunities, such as tapping into the Malaysian market, are also being explored.

Changi Airport Group spokesman Ivan Tan said that since October 2010, more than 200,000 passengers have hopped onto the cross-border buses. SIA's spokesman Nicholas Ionides declined to say how many passengers originating from Johor take SIA's flights from Changi, but added that the airline "sees potential for growth in both corporate and leisure traffic of this nature".

The competitive lure is not just from Johor Baru to Changi Airport. AirAsia, one of the three big budget carriers operating at Changi, also offers its travellers free bus rides from Singapore to Johor's Senai Airport. From there, they can get on flights not served by the airline from Changi.

The more options the better, said retiree Ahmad Ismail, who lives in Singapore and has flown from both Changi and Senai airports. "With different airports and airlines offering different services, travellers can pick and choose the best deal, which is a good thing," he said.

By Karamjit Kaur karam@sph.com.sg

Copyright © 2013. Singapore Press Holdings Ltd .