APH’s operations at two of the UK’s most popular airports have been transformed thanks to the recent fleet replacement, the first step of its brand refresh. The operator, which has been recognised as ‘Best company for airport parking’ by the British Travel Awards for 12 consecutive years, has reported a huge upgrade in the customer and driver experience, thanks to the superior build quality of the Volvo B8RLE MCV eVoRas. Since entering service, the vehicles have delivered strong reliability, a capacity to optimise running costs and reduce carbon emissions.
Mark Hannan, Operations Manager, APH, says: “These vehicles are absolutely brilliant, the new orange liveries really brighten up Gatwick and Manchester! Our customer and driver experience is also a million times better; these Volvos are much more comfortable and spacious than our previous vehicles.
“When we sat down to compare what was available on the market for our new buses, feedback from other operators was really important to us, and it quickly became clear that Volvo Buses offered a superior product and service.”
The new bespoke vehicles are made up of four 11.3m Volvo B8RLE MCV eVoRas for Manchester airport, and six at 12.1m for Gatwick airport. All the new Volvos are powered by the proven D8K engine, one of the cleanest and most efficient Euro-6 diesel bus engines on the market. APH’s unique specification features generous luggage racks, three-point seatbelts, USB charging ports and driver radios, maximising comfort and convenience for employees and customers.
Commenting further on their performance, Hannan says: “Our vehicles are running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, covering around 250 miles a day. They’re also remarkably fuel efficient for their size. The demanding nature of our operations means we need to have vehicles we can rely on, but it also makes aftersales service vital for us because we outsource all our maintenance.
“It’s therefore a real asset for our business to have the expertise of two long-established Volvo Truck and Bus dealerships locally, MC Truck & Bus for our Gatwick fleet, and Thomas Hardie Commercials up in Manchester. They have both been particularly impressive in terms of response times.”
Founded in 1980, APH is a family-owned business and a major independent airport parking company in the UK. It provides more than 10,000 airport parking spaces across Gatwick and Manchester airports alongside hotels, lounges and travel extras to UK travellers.
Warwick
20 June 2023
For more press information, contact: Andy Kunze, Service Market Director, Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, on phone: +44 (0)7831 268659, or email: andy.kunze@volvo.com. Alternatively, Charlotte Baker, Garnett Keeler PR, on phone: +44 (0)7599 653949, or email: charlotte.baker@garnettkeeler.com.
