If the state gets its way, Honolulu Airport will have a new shuttle service picking up arrivals, using Mercedes Benz vehicles and high-tech tablet technology.

The state Department of Transportation issued its intent to award a five-year contract to Maui-based SpeediShuttle, which operates similar concession contracts on Hawaii island and Maui.

The contract is expected to begin Oct. 1, well before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative meeting begins, and will provide service islandwide, not just to Waikiki and Aloha Tower as the current contract requires. The APEC meeting is scheduled for Nov. 7-13 and is expected to draw about 20,000 people, including the heads of state from 21 countries.

The current shuttle service provider, Roberts Tours and Transportation Inc., or Roberts Hawaii, lost the contract by three points (471 to 468) during the scoring process.

Roberts asked for a debriefing on why it did not get the contract. Unsatisfied, the company filed an appeal of the procurement process on Aug. 9 through the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

State transportation spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said the agency expects the matter to be resolved by the end of the month. Roberts Hawaii was not immediately available for comment.

On Oahu, SpeediShuttle operates 11-seat passenger Mercedes Benz Sprinters to shuttle travelers. The company will deploy 30 vehicles for Oahu, as opposed to the 12 they currently operate on a reservation basis. Cecil Morton, president and owner of the company, said there will not be a reduction in seats compared with Roberts’ service.

"Because there’s only 11 passenger seats, plus the driver, you get out of the airport faster," Morton said. "You don’t have to fill up a larger bus the way it is currently operated."

Morton said his shuttles will pick up travelers at the curb by the arrival gates, and they will no longer have to walk across the street to wait on an island. Each attendant will be equipped with Samsung Galaxy tablets to process shuttle passes and orders.

"We will also have touch-screen kiosks located throughout the terminals," Morton said. "It’s technology that’s never been introduced in this state."

SpeediShuttle, if the contract award holds, is at a unique position to take advantage of the high-profile APEC event.

"There’s no doubt that we look every day on improving what we do, for any event, may it be APEC or anything else," Morton said. "We live and breathe this business."