$5 gets you between Alliance and AIA with Public Transit
The city-run Alliance Public Transit shuttle ties Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA, Terminal T1) to town for a flat $5.00 each way, which undercuts any taxi quote you’ll get in Box Butte County. It’s a shared shuttle bus setup, not a private car, and you pay per person per trip.
Service isn’t walk-up: the airport page says you have to arrange ground transportation to and from AIA by calling Alliance Public Transit at 308-762-RIDE (7433). Call during local office hours and lock in a pickup time that lines up with your inbound or outbound flight; don’t assume something will just be waiting at the terminal curb.
Pickup happens curbside outside the small T1 terminal, usually within a few minutes of your scheduled time, and the ride into central Alliance runs roughly 10–15 minutes depending on traffic on US-385. The driver collects the $5.00 each-way fare on board, so keep small bills handy; you won’t tap a card reader here.
There’s no published late-night schedule for Alliance Public Transit, so if your Great Lakes or charter arrival slides past 21:00, confirm in that phone call that they’ll still send the shuttle. On outbound legs from town back to AIA, book the shuttle at least a few hours before your flight’s scheduled departure to avoid a fully booked run.
Step-by-step from plane to town for $5:
- 1. Land at AIA T1 and exit into the single public lobby within 5 minutes of stepping off the plane.
- 2. Call 308-762-RIDE (7433) if you haven’t pre-booked, and request pickup at Alliance Municipal Airport for today’s date and your current time.
- 3. Walk out the main terminal doors to the front curb and look for the city transit shuttle bus with Alliance markings; it usually pulls up directly in front of arrivals.
- 4. Board when the driver confirms your name or pickup, pay the $5.00 each-way fare in cash, and grab a seat.
- 5. Ride 10–15 minutes into Alliance and get dropped at your stated address or a known stop, then confirm your return time to AIA with the driver or dispatcher if you already know your outbound flight details.
One tip: call Public Transit to book both your arrival and departure legs in the same 5-minute phone call so you’re not chasing a ride the morning you fly out.