Airport transport operator SkyBus has announced changes to its Auckland services from the 17th November 2019.

Its Auckland airport to Auckland City Express service that previously operated alternating services via Dominion Road and Mt Eden Road will now only operate via Mt Eden Road between the Airport and Auckland CBD.

The frequency of the service will increase, with the 24/7 service operating up to 5 times per hour in each direction with a bus every 12 mins during peak hours (an increase from the current 15 min services), with the journey taking around 45 - 60 minutes depending on traffic. The change follows on from Skybus cutting prices on the route from $18 to $17 in October

SkyBus took over the airport express bus service in 2015 and kept the same routes as the previous operator, Airbus. In 2018 they added direct services from Auckland airport to the North Shore stopping at Akoranga, Smales Farm and Westfield Albany.

Interestingly SkyBus claims on their website that their service results in the "lowest per km" airport transit fare in the Australian region, something that seems to be a strange metric to be claiming, and something that has no factual basis unless they're only comparing SkyBus services at the airports they operate at.

While the SkyBus is the only direct service into the City, passengers can also use the Auckland Transport 380 bus from the Domestic and International terminals and transfer to a train at Papatoetoe Station to get into the City. This journey typically takes around 60 minutes, and costs $4.90 with an AT HOP card. Other airports in New Zealand also offer bus services at a lower per km rate than the Airbus rate.