Business group welcomes improved air connectivity
Better links between Guernsey and two major capital cities have been welcomed by the Guernsey International Business Association.
Aurigny announced last week that is would launch a twice-weekly service between Guernsey and Paris next spring.
It also confirmed an expansion of its UK network for next year, including 13 rotations a week to London City, as well as a return to London Stansted three times a week.
GIBA chairman Paul Sykes said the changes were very welcome to the finance community.
‘London City offers easy access to colleagues, clients and key intermediaries,’ he said.
‘The City remains an important financial district for Guernsey and this kind of connectivity helps to position the island as an accessible international finance centre.
‘The Paris route will improve connections to Europe, and as an international hub, it offers business travellers more choice and improves the jurisdiction’s appeal to clients around the world.'
Aurigny has operated services to both the London airports in the past, but they were dropped due to low passenger numbers.
‘We hope the routes will be popular with islanders and can be maintained for the long-term economic and social benefit of Guernsey,’ Mr Sykes said.
Aurigny has confirmed it will be keeping its existing network, along with the new services.
The timetables page on Aurigny’s website is currently empty, making it hard to compare existing services or get a full picture of the schedule.
But using Aurigny’s search function, it is possible to see what services are being offered next year on a week-by-week basis.
Looking at the first week of June, there are five or six rotations a day between Guernsey and Gatwick, and three or four services a day between Guernsey and Southampton.
There are two rotations a day between Guernsey and Manchester, mostly in the mornings and evenings. But there will only one mid-morning service a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Exeter service has been changed, with the Friday night flight scrapped. Instead there will be four rotations a week – on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
There will be one rotation a day to Birmingham and to Bristol, and two rotations a week to Leeds Bradford.
Aurigny has been approached for an interview about the sweeping schedule changes, which were announced last week. However the airline has not yet been able to agree an interview date.
The States has confirmed that it will be subsidising the island's new air link with Paris.
At one point the Committee for Economic Development was reliant on the States supporting a funding bid through the Government Work Plan. But now the committee and Policy & Resources has agreed financial support for the route.
'The Paris link will achieve two States objectives – to broaden European connectivity and to connect Guernsey with an additional international hub airport,' the committees said in a statement.
'Final details, including the level of subsidy, are in the process of being agreed.'
