Alderney airport and runway tenders ‘issued in the next few months’
TENDERS for the building of a new airport terminal in Alderney and an extension to the island’s runway should be issued in the next few months, a senior island politician has said.
Policy & Finance Committee chairman Ian Carter said that last month’s States of Guernsey decision to pursue Option C+, which would enable larger aircraft to fly in and out of the island, was ‘just the start’.
‘Now the hard work begins to bring the shared vision of the States of Alderney, the Guernsey States’ Trading Supervisory Board, and Guernsey’s Policy & Resources Committee to fruition over the next two years,’ he said.
The States will need to secure Civil Aviation Authority and European Union Aviation Safety Agency approval for designs for the work, before issuing construction tenders.
Both moves are expected to take place within the first quarter of this year.
Land acquisition to allow the runway extension and repositioning of the track to the west is already under way, Mr Carter added.
He said that the plan was then for a preferred bidder to be appointed in the third quarter of next year, with planning applications for site construction compounds following before the end of the year.
Work is expected to begin in 2024 and to be completed in the second quarter of 2025.
The condition of the existing runway remains a concern, Mr Carter said, and ongoing repairs will continue to be managed by Guernsey Ports.
He said both islands will work together on regulatory approvals, managing inflationary costs, and avoiding construction delays.
