Airport Service Bus Company Calling It Quits

The president of Anaheim-based Airport Service Inc., which provides bus service from Orange County to three area airports, said Friday night that the money-losing company will close down on Easter Sunday.

Donald W. Boyles said increased competition from new competitors had caused the company to lose money during the past three years. Airport Service has operated in Orange County since 1957.

Airport Service is owned by Chromalloy American Co. of St. Louis. Boyles said the parent company informed him on April 10 that it planned to shut down the local bus company at the end of its regular day on Sunday.

“We are, in fact, going out of business,” he said.

Boyles said Airport Service provided transportation for about 750,000 passengers a year to John Wayne, Los Angeles International and Long Beach airports from the Santa Ana bus terminal and five locations in Anaheim, including the Disneyland Hotel.

181 to Lose Jobs

He said 110 drivers and 28 ticket agents will lose their jobs by the closure of the company, as well as 43 other salaried employees.

He said Airport Service began to lose money in 1984 after the Public Utilities Commission deregulated airport commuter bus service and new companies entered the lucrative Orange County market.

In late 1985, the company wanted to impose an 11.5% reduction in wages, citing dwindling profits. But unionized drivers and ticket agents staged a strike that cut operations by 80%. The union relented after five weeks, however, and the drivers and ticket agents returned to work.

Boyles said a new Anaheim-based company, Fun Bus Systems, had already purchased some of Airport Service’s buses. “I’m sure they will be hiring some of our drivers, as well, but I don’t know how many,” he said.

A bus driver who identified himself only as Ted said Friday night that the announcement from Boyles had shocked many of the employees. “I’ve been driving a bus here for 17 years. It’s pretty bad,” he said.

A supervisor, who declined to be identified, said most employees had been aware of a possible closing of the company.

“I think it has been general knowledge. But it still surprises you when it happens,” he said.