We need a longer runway

GUERNSEY must plan to extend its runway, according to a leading aviation consultant.

But York Aviation found there would be little benefit in increasing its length within the next 10 to 15 years, the Guernsey Press can reveal exclusively today.

The Policy Council commissioned the wide-ranging report late last year as debate continued about work needed to repair the lifeline runway.

At the time, some business leaders and deputies were arguing the case for an extension from its current length of 1,463m to 1,700m.

'Taking into account the scale of the Guernsey market, we do not consider there is a pressing case for a longer runway than that available currently,' said the report.

'We have considered the risks associated with remaining with the existing runway length and consider such risks to be minimal in the short to medium term in the light of the number of small regional jet and turboprop aircraft in manufacture and being acquired by airlines capable of serving Guernsey.'

The report highlights how keen manufacturers were to develop aircraft that could use London City Airport, which has a smaller operational runway length than Guernsey.

Worldwide, York Aviation said, there are currently about 1,700 operational aircraft that could operate from the island.

'However, while we have considered what is known about future aircraft types and the requirements for access to London and/or other hubs, we cannot be certain that over the longer term there will not be pressure for a longer runway at some date in the future.'