Airporter Carries Kitsap Travelers for Nearly Half a Century
For nearly half a century, the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter has been more than just a shuttle service. For residents of the Kitsap Peninsula, it has been a lifeline—a reliable link to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and, by extension, the wider world. But beyond the miles traveled and passengers carried, the company has built a legacy rooted in family, service, and community.
At the center of that story is founder and owner Richard Asche, now 88, and his longtime general manager Lauri Smith. Together, they represent the past, present, and future of a business that has carried more than 4.7 million passengers since its first run in 1979.
From Navy Retirement to New Beginnings
When Asche retired from the Navy in 1979, he wasn’t sure what came next.
“I retired from the Navy in 1979 and was jobless,” he recalled. “And I got to recalling how when we lived in Ogden, Utah…when I needed to go to the airport, I called key limousine service, and they picked me up at my doorstep and took me to the airport for $10.”
That memory sparked an idea. With encouragement from his wife Helen, Asche decided to launch a similar service in Kitsap.
“I discussed that with my wife, and we most hardily agreed that was a way to do it,” he said.
At the time, Asche’s shipmates at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard were skeptical.
“All my shipmates thought I was crazy as hell, except for one guy, the commanding officer, Charlie Cole,” Asche said. “He said, ‘someday…I hope to one day come back to Port Orchard and Bremerton and see your vans and buses all over the place.’ Well, he was right.”
Thus the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter was born. The family ran the business out of their home, with all hands pitching in. Richard drove, Helen managed phones, and their five children answered calls, cleaned vehicles and did what was necessary.
“The first year of operation we carried 935 people for the year,” Asche said.
By comparison, in 2024 the company carried 130,362 passengers—a testament to both growth and longevity. In just the first half of 2025, they’ve already transported 73,370 people.
Building a Business on Family
The Airporter’s early years were fueled by grit and family teamwork. Asche washed and repaired vehicles himself, Helen juggled phones and books, and the children pitched in wherever needed.
“When they initially started the company, back when I was in high school, it was operating out of the house,” remembered daughter Lynne Koll, who will eventually take over the company. “I’d listened to them talk…about the vision for the company and how they were going to start up the business and grow the business. And I was even cleaning the vehicles at the time. Everybody, all hands on deck, as my dad would say.”
That commitment never left. Even as the company grew—today employing 54 people and operating hourly shuttles from 4 a.m. to midnight—the Airporter has remained a family business at heart.
“My little sister Mary…currently works in the office on weekends, supporting the operation,” Koll said. “Another sister (Lisa) supports the business by her knowledge and marketing. So it’s really going to stay a family business. It’s always been a family business. I see it as a real legacy for the family to keep it going.”
Reliability on the Road
From its start, the Airporter has been defined by dependability. Its buses leave the airport 21 times a day, every hour, from early morning to midnight.
“From the airport, we don’t take reservations at all. It’s first come, first serve,”Smith said. “People come down there, they buy their ticket on a kiosk or from the driver, and they’re good to go.”
Behind that smooth operation is careful attention to safety and equipment.
“The biggest thing is our mechanics are very diligent about keeping these buses safe on the road within the Department of Transportation requirements,” Smith said. “And then the dedication of the drivers…I have some drivers that I would never doubt that they would show up for a run, snow, rain, hail, anything.”
Smith knows the operation well—she’s been with the company for 12 years, starting as a driver and working her way up to general manager. Today, she keeps the wheels turning day in and day out.
“The biggest thing is, the customer initiates the reason for us being on the road,” she said. “If we didn’t have reliable vehicles or reliable employees, we would not have customers trusting us with their safety and everything to get to and from the airport.”
People Who Make the Difference
What makes the Airporter more than just a bus ride are the stories of its people—both employees and customers.
“One lady…has ridden with us for 25 years,” Smith said. “She always asks for a specific driver. She will not ride with us if he’s not working—that’s Dana. He tells the worst jokes in the world, but he’s probably the sweetest man in the world. He will give the shirt off his back for you, and he goes that extra mile for the passengers. If I had 20 Danas—even as irritating as his hummingbird behavior is—I’d take them.”
Asche recalled another example of compassion on the road. A woman injured her leg at the airport and was in great pain on the ride home.
“Our driver stopped at the gas station…they prepared an ice pack for her to put on her ankle,” he said. “She was very grateful. Turned out that she didn’t have a sprained ankle—she had a broken leg.”
The driver made sure she had a ride and was settled before leaving. It’s moments like these that reveal why the company has earned such loyalty.
“Our average age is 74,” Asche said of his drivers. “Most of them are retired or just want something to do for a couple days a week.”
That maturity translates into patience, dedication, and often, humor.
Serving More Than Travelers
While the airport shuttle remains its core, the Airporter also provides private charters for weddings, events, and group trips. The service has broader community benefits too.
“We take off probably 300–400 cars a day off the road,” Asche said.
That reduces traffic, supports tourism, and makes air travel accessible for thousands who would otherwise have to navigate Seattle’s roads and parking.
“It provides a very needed, low-cost means of transportation to the airport,” Koll said. “One of the key things is, it’s probably one of the lowest fares around per mile, and there’s a high frequency of service. It runs pretty much 24/7, 364 days a year.”
Weathering Challenges
Like all transportation businesses, the Airporter has faced its share of challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly tough.
“Covid really kind of kicked us in the pants,” Smith admitted. “We had to let all of our employees go…then to get my employees back and to restart, you know, so we kind of had to do baby steps.”
But resilience, teamwork, and community loyalty carried them through.
Leadership and Legacy
Though Asche is still active, sharp and has a great sense of humor, he has begun planning for the company’s future. His daughter Lynne will eventually step in as owner, joined by her husband David, who is nearing retirement.
“She’s a bright girl, she’ll do a fine job here,” Asche said. “She works well with people, and she’s customer oriented.”
For Koll, stepping into leadership is both a responsibility and an honor.
“I’ve always had an interest in it, and I see it as a really beneficial business for the community,” she said. “It’s really going to stay a family business. We want to keep my dad’s legacy going.”
That legacy is about more than buses. It’s about a way of doing business—listening to employees, valuing customers, and keeping service affordable.
“Dick allowed his company to grow, and he allowed his employees to grow,” Smith said. “If an employee has a good suggestion…he will take that into consideration and say, you know, let’s try it. If it works cool, we’ll keep it. If it doesn’t, we won’t have to try that ever again.”
“Lauri has been a real, huge asset to our company too,” Koll said. “She’s just been very loyal and very hardworking. We really appreciate her. She’s a real dream to have.”
The Reward of Service
For Asche, the satisfaction of hearing from grateful customers never gets old.
“I think probably the general feeling of satisfaction to our customers, and I feel is the most rewarding part for me when I sit out there with those dispatchers, I overhear their telephone conversations and the favorable treatment that dispatchers get about our service and about them,” he said. “Personally, that’s rewarding for me.”
Smith echoes the sentiment. “We just like that when we get really good compliments…‘you saved our marriage because I wasn’t taking Fred to the airport.’ For me, to watch my employees develop and become open toward the passengers…I think that’s the most rewarding part.”
Looking Down the Road
Today, nearly five decades after a Navy veteran with a big idea took a chance on a shoestring venture, the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter is stronger than ever.
“There’s a lot to be proud of with this company,” Asche said.
“And he is, and I am too,” Smith added. “I see what he built—his ideas, his creativity, even his family, his wife, his sons and his daughters are behind him still to this day.”
The Airporter’s story is one of perseverance, family, and connection. It’s also a story of community—neighbors carrying neighbors safely down the road, one trip at a time.
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