Airport Manager, Derrick Laing, today (1 September 2009) welcomed the launch of a new, direct city centre to airport bus link, operated by National Express Dundee. The new 8X service will stop at Dundee City airport every 30 minutes offering air passengers a fast and frequent link to the city centre, Broughty Ferry, the Technology Park and Ninewells Hospital. The service will also call at Dundee railway station in both directions providing a new and convenient link for Dundee, Angus and Fife travellers making an onward journey by air or rail. Derrick Laing, Airport Terminal Manager, commented on the new service by saying: "We are really pleased to be able to offer passengers in partnership with National Express Dundee this new service calling at the airport. It offers everyone using the airport the chance to travel directly from the city centre to us. With a departure every 30 minutes, all our passengers can now easily access the city centre when they arrive or depart from Dundee Airport." Lawrence Davie, Director National Express Dundee, said: "We are delighted to launch the new airport bus service which will make travel even simpler for people flying to and from Dundee. For the first time, the airport, city centre and train station are all linked by one bus service and our great value fares ensure the new link is an extremely cost-effective way to travel to and from the airport. National Express Dundee's fleet of accessible low-level floor buses will also make the airport bus link an easy option for travellers with wheelchairs, prams or heavy luggage." Convener of Dundee City Council's city development committee, Will Dawson added: "Integrated public transport links are vitally important to passengers and employees of Dundee Airport and I am pleased that the city council has been able to contribute to making this new service happen." Operating 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday, the 8X service runs every half hour from 06.30am until 22.30hrs. Journey time between the city centre and airport is approximately 5 minutes. One-way fares between the city centre/railway station and airport are £1.45 for adults and 72p for children (5-15 years inclusive). Download the timetable for the 8X service here. Timetables for this service are also available from the Travel Shop at 92 Commercial Street, Dundee.

Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd was incorporated in Edinburgh on 4 March 1986 as a private limited company under the Companies Act of 1985. On 1 April 1995, ownership of the company transferred from the UK Civil Aviation Authority to the Secretary of State for Scotland and subsequently to the Scottish Ministers. The airports within the HIAL group are Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Inverness, Islay. Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick. These airports support vital business, social and welfare air links to otherwise remote communities. HIAL assumed the responsibility for the operation of Dundee Airport from Dundee City Council on 1 December 2007 and operates it via a wholly owned subsidiary Dundee Airport Limited. In the year ending 31 March 2009 HIAL's 11 airports handled 1,296,300 passengers and 141,500 aircraft movements. Passenger movements ranged from 663, 900 at Inverness to 67,270 at Dundee and 8,736 at Tiree. Dundee offers passengers routes to London City, Belfast City and Birmingham and during the summer months to Jersey. For further information see the www.hial.co.uk website. National Express Dundee, formerly Travel Dundee, has been part of National Express since 1997 and is proud of its long association with the City of Dundee and the communities it serves. The bus operator runs a fleet of 130 buses and provides around 95 per cent of the 17 million bus journeys that are made within Dundee each year.