SkyBus hits high notes and high gear on back of Taylor Swift and Grand Prix

• 85,000 people chose SkyBus during Taylor Swift's concerts in Melbourne, marking a busy quarter alongside the Australian Open and Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
• Strong demand for the airport express service is also indicated by the latest research showing 1 in 5 Australians have used the service in the last 12 months
• SkyBus continues to invest in the customer experience including with recent upgrades at Southern Cross Station

More than 85,000 people chose SkyBus during the week of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Melbourne, the highlight of a busy quarter for the airport express service which was also spurred by record crowds at the Australian Open and Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Connecting Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) and Avalon Airport (AVV) with the city centre, SkyBus experienced strong patronage aboard its popular services, carrying thousands of Swifties each day during the three-day stint at the MCG during the ‘Eras Tour’.

SkyBus’s popularity reflects its significant value to Melbourne’s major events and tourism industry. Offering convenient, easy and low-cost travel, SkyBus is a compelling value proposition for visitors travelling through the state’s aviation gateways.

Melbourne Airport announced a record March with more than 3 million passengers breaking the record previously set in March 2018. And many of them are choosing to travel with SkyBus.

Independent research commissioned by SkyBus in October 2023 showed that almost one in five Australians had used the service in the prior 12 months.

General Manager, Melbourne, Jason Balkin thanked people for continuing to choose to travel with SkyBus.

“We are a passionate and dedicated team who recognise the responsibility we have creating a world-class visitor experience, and that’s something we think about every day as we welcome domestic and international travellers to Melbourne,” Mr Balkin said.

“Major international events help bring Melbourne to life and the SkyBus team are thrilled to be the first to deliver a warm welcome when people touch down. The team have performed exceptionally while having an incredible time supporting our major events, and the broader Kinetic family lent a hand doing additional ‘Swift Shifts’ when Taylor landed.”

As part of ongoing investment in customer experience, SkyBus has also overhauled the experience for outbound travellers at Southern Cross Station. This has included investment in new wayfinding signage to boost the passenger experience and to make the service more appealing at the site.

SkyBus continues to receive consistently high customer ratings and research demonstrating positive overall satisfaction, value for money, and propensity to use again. This includes a 4.5-star Tripadvisor rating following 7,186 reviews.

We arrived into Melbourne Airport on Good Friday at about 3pm and only waited a few minutes for our pick up. Similarly, we waited only a few minutes again departing from Southern Cross [Station] a few days later. Really can’t fault their service – ticketing is easy and it was a super cheap trip for our kids. Thanks guys!
– Stuey M, April 2024

SkyBus is frequently recognised by passengers as providing a strong balance between perceived quality of service and perceived value for money, particularly in comparison to Uber/rideshare and taxis.

Further enquiries

Barrett Gibson
Head of Marketing & Communication
(+61) 424 647 488
barrett.gibson@wearekinetic.com