Ground transportation plays a crucial role in the success of airlines when selecting new destinations. While airlines primarily focus on air travel, the overall travel experience for passengers involves a seamless transition between both air and ground transportation.
A study carried out by CMAC Group analysed 1,100 travellers who had completed a round-trip flight for either business or leisure within the last year. 82% of passengers said that their preference would be to travel with an airline that had ground transportation solutions in place.
In this blog, we’ll uncover the importance of ground transport for both passengers and airlines - when selecting new destinations to operate within.
The Importance of Infrastructure
While many factors are considered when selecting new destinations to operate, one aspect often underestimated is the existing infrastructure. Adequate facilities and services must be available to ensure the seamless transportation of both crew and passengers upon arrival.
This is critical for the safety and security of airline crew and passengers. Without the appropriate systems in place, it can impose significant administrative implications for airline operations teams.
A ground transport partner can offer invaluable assistance in this regard. By providing ground transportation solutions for airlines, they ensure smooth and reliable transfers for both crew and passengers. Consequently, airline operators can easily source, book, and manage journeys all in one place.
Disruption Management Services
Disruption management is critical for airlines utilising a managed ground transport provider. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as flight delays or cancellations, a reliable ground transport partner plays a pivotal role in ensuring continuity.
Airlines that benefit from ground transport expertise can swiftly adjust transportation schedules, reroute vehicles, and accommodate changes to ensure seamless transitions for passengers and crew. Additionally, their expertise in navigating local traffic conditions minimises the impact of disruptions, helping airlines maintain their reputation for punctuality and customer satisfaction even in challenging situations.
Duty of Care Standards
Airlines have a responsibility to safeguard their crew and passengers. Therefore, it’s imperative to partner with a ground transport provider with international coverage who prioritises robust safety procedures, such as approved and certified suppliers and thorough driver vetting to ensure qualified individuals. Airlines should also work with transport providers that utilise advanced tracking capabilities and real-time passenger monitoring, ensuring that duty of care standards are guaranteed and that your passengers and crew are always in safe and capable hands even when choosing new destinations to operate within.
Efficiency and Punctuality
Punctual ground transportation contributes to the overall efficiency of the air travel process and should foster a seamless collaboration between the two entities. Reliable ground transport ensures that passengers and crew can arrive on time, reducing delays, missed flights and improving the airline's on-time performance, as well as the journey itself for passengers. Delayed take-offs result in disgruntled passengers, and financial setbacks for airlines. Therefore, it’s important for airlines to harness the power of ground transportation to aid in the quick turnaround of flights, allowing airlines to optimise their schedules and increase the number of flights to and from destinations.
Customer Experience
Each individual travel experience holds a significant influence on customer satisfaction. 46% of UK travellers stated that their encounter with flight delays or cancellations, coupled with the airline's service, would deter them from choosing the same airline for future travels. Therefore, a smooth transition between air and ground travel contributes to a positive experience for passengers. Convenient and reliable ground transportation services, such as shuttle buses, taxis, rental cars, or well-connected public transportation, help to enhance and simplify the journey for passengers, which in turn helps to build brand loyalty.
Accommodation solutions
Teaming up with a ground transport provider boasting international coverage and comprehensive accommodation solutions near the airport guarantees a seamless integration for airlines. This ensures timely delivery of crew to the airport whilst ensuring crew members are well-rested, thereby prioritising their safety and well-being.
Using a managed transport provider offering accommodation can also be an invaluable asset for airlines during times of disruption. With the ability to meet diverse customer needs and ensure that crew and passengers are seamlessly accommodated, alleviating the logistical complexities that arise during disruptions. By consolidating transportation and accommodation services into a single-source solution, the administrative burden on airlines is significantly reduced. This eliminates the need for airlines to individually contact multiple hotels to arrange accommodations, streamlining the process and allowing airlines to focus on managing the disruption effectively.
Why choose CMAC as your trusted ground transport solution?
Partner with CMAC for our expertise in reliable and secure ground transportation and accommodation solutions worldwide. Trusted by airports, airlines, ground handling agencies, and the Civil Aviation Authority, our award-winning aviation solutions are unparalleled.
We specialise in managing disruption with a swift response and a seamless solution. With 24/7 availability 365 days a year, supported by our multilingual operations team, we provide a comprehensive passenger care solution in every situation – whenever or wherever we’re needed.
Our international coverage is continuously expanding, and we boast an extensive network of around 15,000 accommodation partners.
Our fleet, comprising of over 4 million vehicles worldwide, offers diverse options, including taxis, executive cars, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, minibuses, and coaches.
To find out more about our ground transport expertise, visit www.cmacgroup.com or reach out to our committed transport specialists today at: hello@cmacgroup.com.