There was no better way than to start a classic Teams call with technical difficulties, but we both got off to an amusing start. Niall has an incredible amount of advice on growth, challenges and building a small family run business into one of the most well know operators in Ireland. Airporter provides direct connectivity with both Belfast International and City Airports and Derry in the North West.
Established in 1997 and celebrating 25 years in business shortly this year, is an immense achievement and dedication to hard work and discipline. Airporter Ltd focus on delivering a very high standard of customer service with a consistent frequency of transport available for the public between different airport locations. Working alongside Translink, the main state operation in Northern Ireland, they plan to continue building their partnership and improve developing services. The journey to the airport is as equally important as the passengers flight and likewise carry the same level of anxieties when making the connecting journey. Airporter have built their brand and reputation on addressing these and delivering exemplary customer service to their passengers and delivering them to the front doors of the airports. They offer both high frequency timetabled services to the Belfast airports and private hire connections to all airports on the island.
Created by Niall’s father-in-law Brian Smyth, the idea came from frequent journeys home from Canada and recognising the additional journey time to travel into Belfast centre first before the final journey home to the North West. It was later decided that Niall and wife Jennifer would take over the small family business and focus on computerised reservations. Both were experienced in different areas. Niall – studied Travel and Tourism at university and had an interest in IT and tech innovation, whilst Jennifer was running the small family run business previously with operations experience. Its dynamic concept started, as with every business, with second-hand vehicles and growing from there.
Belfast is connected to 21 UK airports and is a dynamic passenger profile for travel. Talking PRE-COVID, the business had been transporting over 150,000 passengers annually, travelling over 2 million kilometres, delivering over 8,000 services annually and working 18 EVM vehicles. In addition, it has let them purchase 6 vehicles annually on a 3-year rotational programme.
Introduced by the director of EVM, Danny Mcgee, who was then working at Esker selling bigger vehicles to Airporter, a partnership began from here between the two. In turn, by reducing operation costs and investing and creating a new online system in Vancouver, it allowed the business to move from ‘nuts and bolts to bits and bytes’ as Niall described the process. In 2010 the live booking system launched for instant bookings online and was one of the best investments made to take lead in the now with the new technology.
With a team of 40 ranging from office staff, operations, drivers and managers, the office is filled with a buzz. Both Niall and Jennifer both have the same outlook on new opportunities giving a fresh feel to the business which helps the direction for new visions.
Until a passenger experiences the journey, they will not understand the value of what is on offer. The ‘attention to detail and quality of product is essential to us. We use it to its full capacity’. Niall explained he knew the Mercedes Benz product would help sustain their work. ‘It brings durability and it’s essential to continuously change our fleet’. It took a while for them to get a plan together but working with Danny and the team
Niall says ‘made the process seamless. EVM understand the model’.
Airporter have always maintained a high level of servicing and maintenance on their vehicles. The fleet had been fully contracted with Mercedes Truck and Van in Belfast and have developed a strong relationship with them over the years. Three years ago Airporter acquired and customed designed operational yard and are now subsequently in the process of onboarding the servicing and maintenance themselves.
What helps carry the business are the two optimistic owners. The glass is always half full. Times have been challenging with the amount of media that has crept onto our screens. Deciding to detach themselves from the amount of news, allowed them to be mindful of looking at a time scale and checking in with LinkedIn connections and develop them further, which would not have happened if it were not for COVID. They believe for the bus and coach market; the online system offers opportunities for any business which they would like to market. In quiet times like this, Niall describes his thought process – ‘What can I do or change this week for myself? We’re working with key workers and the NHS and have monthly meetings with the airport but we’re also looking forward to seeing what can be achieved. It gives us good time to prepare and reorganise the business so that we can be more efficient’. As we were all part of seeing the effects being hit in the travel and tourism industry, in a way it’s helped many of us pin the direction for any company behind the scenes.
From various changes over the year Niall tells me that he wishes back to when he started to ‘understand the value of patience’. When a process is changed but has no immediate effect involving a lot of effort, patience is a key element. It can be disheartening but it always works out in the end.
To keep focused during times like this, a good walk after work each day and a new ukulele for Christmas, along with his daughter who is a talented pianist, keeps him sane in the evenings and helps to have a distinct break from work. Another great pocket of escapism are podcasts. If you have not already, give one a listen. Niall’s favourite, David McWilliams, is an essential listen making sense of today’s economics.
One very important person who was an enormous role model and business influence was his father who sadly passed away last year.
Being able to establish a service and a need for the North is important by covering other areas. Recently they secured a license to go through Coleraine on the north coast. Its next expansion is the rejuvenation of the business with the system at the hub and supported by ‘an EVM purchase that is more than a transaction, it’s a partnership in transport excellence’.
We cannot wait to see what the future holds for Niall and the team and look forward to working together again.
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