State of aviation across islands under spotlight

Deputy Yvonne Burford, a former commercial pilot, unveiled a late delaying motion to last week’s States debate and though the full debate on the proposal to spend £24m. on extending the Alderney runway and building a new airport has already been put back three weeks, Alderney politicians are concerned that, if approved, the sursis could equal a delay of more than a year.

Deputy Burford said she believed the proposal from the States Trading Supervisory Board did not stand up to scrutiny.

‘Before we spend millions extending Alderney’s runway, we absolutely need to have a decision from the States on Guernsey’s,’ she said at the weekend.

She is pushing for Economic Development to bring back a report on extending Guernsey’s runway – a move she also opposes – which is late in returning to the States.

Members know that the work is largely complete. Economic Development president Neil Inder confirmed that at the weekend and said his committee should be in a position to bring it back to the States within a few months. Pressure could be now brought to speed that up.

Deputy Burford said that the Alderney proposal relies on Aurigny operating those routes with ATR72s, but a decision to extend Guernsey’s runway could introduce damaging and possibly terminal competition for Aurigny, and leave Alderney without a service. ‘We don’t want to be left in a situation where the one remaining bidder can name their price, if indeed they are interested at all.'

Deputy Burford said that she, and sursis seconder Deputy Heidi Soulsby, were ‘acutely aware’ of the urgency of the Alderney work.

‘However, it’s important to understand that even if the option to extend Alderney’s runway is passed – and that’s far from certain from soundings I have taken – the projected cost of £24m. is highly provisional.

‘P&R have said they will only use delegated authority to approve the spend if it continues to represent value for money. Many deputies think the true figure will end up being much higher.’

The sursis also calls for an investigation into a potential return to the Aurigny operating model of the 1990s and before, seeking to reunite all inter-island routes, including Jersey, using a small fleet of small aircraft. Deputy Burford said this would increase flight frequency and remove the need for the Alderney runway extension.

‘It may not be possible but it should have been thoroughly investigated before proposing to extend Alderney,’ she said.

‘In the event that a decision is made not to extend Guernsey’s runway and if it is shown that there is no possibility for whatever reason of returning to a previous model of inter-island travel, I am likely to support the Alderney proposals. But these things need to be done in the correct order.

‘We need to be doing things in the right order, not be spending money where we don’t need to spend it, and trying to achieve an optimal solution, that won’t land us in a foreseeable difficult situation in the future.’