Isle of Man air bridge set to start in mid-July

The Guernsey and Isle of Man governments have agreed to move forward with the planned air bridge , which is expected to be the first established by any governments in the British Isles.

It is planned that Aurigny will operate flights from mid-July for an initial six-week period. An Aurigny spokesperson said they were still firming up the details, but were hoping to operate twice weekly rotations. A full schedule should be released next week.

The decision to form an air bridge follows talks last week between the chief ministers of Guernsey and the Isle of Man, as well as both governments’ Public Health teams.

Both jurisdictions have very similar measures in place for border controls from other locations, and robust testing and contact tracing capabilities, and neither have seen a new case of Covid-19 for several weeks.

Aurigny and the airports in Guernsey and the Isle of Man have also worked together to ensure the air bridge can be opened quickly.

Guernsey's Chief Minister Gavin St Pier said he was delights to confirm the air bridge was going ahead.

'I’m certain our community will welcome it enormously,' he said.

'As we continue to maintain controls for arrivals from other destinations where community seeding of the virus which causes Covid-19 raises concerns, this offers a chance to get away this summer without the need to self-isolate. Having been many times over the years, I know that the Isle of Man is a great destination, with beautiful scenery, welcoming people and much like our Bailiwick, a proud and distinct cultural identity.'

The link would not just provide a destination for Guernsey tourists, but also bring in Isle of Man visitors to help Guernsey's struggling hospitality industry.

'Aurigny have played an absolutely vital part in making this possible,' Deputy St Pier said.

'Being able to count on our national airline, who play an important role as an economic enabler, means we’ve been able move fast. But even more than that, the airline’s staff have really shown the Guernsey Together spirit that has been instrumental in the Bailiwick’s success in the face of the pandemic and will continue to be as we begin our recovery.'

Isle of Man chief minister Howard Quayle said announcing unrestricted travel with the Bailiwick was a major milestone.

'Guernsey and the other islands within its Bailiwick, Alderney, Sark and Herm are a great destination for Manx holidaymakers to get away to this summer,' he said.

'And it also allows both jurisdictions the opportunity see air bridges in practice and look at how we might expand them to other places in a similar situation to ourselves.'

The Isle of Man has seen 336 cases of Covid-19 among its population of about 84,000. It has not had an active case since early June. Its borders are closed to non-residents, and those that do return face a 14-day quarantine, like people arriving into Guernsey.