(27 Jul 2025, 5:26 pm)Storx wrote Not sure other cities are comparable, where their airports are miles out of the town with large populations behind or parallel to the airport like Stockport etc which would involve a hell of a double back. 

Newcastle doesn't have this issue ie:


The interchanges might not be nice but almost all of County Durham and Northumberland either have a direct service to Gateshead, Park Lane / Sunderland or the Regent Centre which give a very fast link direct to the airport via the Metro. You could run a service from Durham to the airport but what's it going to save 5 minutes and it's going to be extremely infrequent

It's different to say Stockport:


which would involve a hell of a double back so the direct service makes sense and acts as it's own hub. 

The only bit which makes sense is the bit in pink, which should go to the Metrocentre in the other direction, but that's not a long distance service.  Some people really downvalue the links to the airport as imo, it's one of, if not the best in the country.

The fact the 342 was binned off by Nexus going to the airport, with absolutely no complaints, also sums up the demand for it and that's a subsidised service.

See, I get what you're saying with the time differences - but it's the whole faff on having to change and unload / re-load cases especially if coming in from Durham, CLS & Birtley.

Literally, it would just be turn up at the bus stop, pay your £2.50, put cases on the luggage racks and chill until right outside the terminal.

The £2.50 fare would be extremely popular with students - not forgetting the overnight links for shift workers and employment.