Student Government Ends AirBus Airport Shuttle
Central Student Government voted unanimously to sunset the AirBus program, which ran bus rides to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport for 24 years.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Air Travel
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Central Student Government unanimously passed the AirBus Sunsetting Act, ending a 24-year program that provided bus rides to and from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport during school breaks. The program's remaining funds were moved to the general reserve.
Why it matters
Partlan cited increasing costs, declining ridership and the administrative burden of running the program as reasons for ending it. The change removes a travel option that students in Ann Arbor have relied on for over two decades.
The AirBus program ran for 24 years before the Assembly passed AR 16-053 unanimously. The specific reallocated amount was clarified through amendments, but the figure is not provided in the source record.
The players
Central Student Government
The University of Michigan's student governing body, which oversees student funds and programming on the Ann Arbor campus.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
The major commercial airport serving the Detroit metropolitan area, which was the destination for the AirBus shuttle.
The details
The Assembly approved a motion to move AR 16-053 to the business agenda, then voted after amendments clarified the reallocation. The same Monday evening session, held over Zoom, also restored event funding to the executive branch for the rest of fall semester.
Timeline
Rest of fall semester 2026: executive branch funding restored for student events.
Monday evening, November 2026: CSG meeting held over Zoom with budget votes.
Travel Outlook
The end of the AirBus program reflects the pressure on student-subsidized airport shuttles as rising operating costs and falling rider numbers strain budgets that once covered routes to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Students heading home for breaks will now need to arrange other transportation to the airport.
Students who relied on AirBus for school-break trips to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport will need to book alternative ground transportation. The program's end removes a low-cost option that had served Ann Arbor riders for 24 years.
The takeaway
Students planning airport trips from Ann Arbor should check other ground transportation options now that the AirBus program has ended. Keeping an eye on Central Student Government meeting agendas can show how remaining campus travel subsidies are being handled.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Air Travel in the Ann Arbor section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Michigan Daily.
Live Poll
Should student government keep funding campus bus rides instead of moving money to reserves?
