You can get buses every hour from middlesbrough
...Not much use when you want a bus to Darlington to catch the train to Newcastle. Crazy thing is that the bus times are not synchronised with the times of arriving or departing planes; neither are they conveniently timed for those working at the airport.
I noticed a bus stop outside Newcastle Airport recently, and when I looked at the timetable on it was pleasantly surprised to find some bus times. Mainly to places like Hexham and Blyth, and not very frequent; but it's a start. While it's all very well for locals to get dropped off and picked up by friends and family in the car, many visitors appreciate a decent public transport option, which I feel the Metro provides.