Aurigny to pay extra £98k for late flights in August

Analysis by the Guernsey Press found that more than 60 of the States-owned airline flights landed after the cut-off time, while one took off afterwards.

While most were within the next hour after the closure, more than 20 landed after 10pm.

Of these, six landed after 11pm.

An Aurigny spokeswoman said the airline was dedicated to ensuring customers reached their destinations on the same day as their original booking.

‘In the event of delays, we work closely with our colleagues at Guernsey Airport to make this possible,’ she said.

While it was an unusually foggy August, there were also serious issues with aircraft problems.

Guernsey Airport charges additional fees for the use of Guernsey Airport outside of the hours of operation for each aircraft movement. These start from £782 for the first 14 minutes after the 9pm closure, and then increase the longer the airport has to stay open. Airport ground crew, tower staff and airport firefighters all need to stay working for a plane to be able to land.

Guernsey Ports managing director Colin Le Ray confirmed they started charging from exactly 9pm.

‘It is worth stating however, that these are “additional” charges over and above the normal aircraft or passenger charges that apply to an aircraft movement during our standard operating hours,’ he said.

Last year extension charges amounted to about £200,000, which was considered an average year. That is an average of about £16,000 a month

The Guernsey Press research found the most expensive day for charges in August was Friday 16, when more than £9,000 will have been charged for four flights – two of which landed after 11pm.

On five days the last flights landed before 9pm, but on only three of them was it smooth sailing – 2, 6 and 14 August.

On 13 August three evening flights were cancelled, while on 15 August four flights were diverted back to the UK during the evening due to fog. The last flight turned back at 11pm.

It was against this backdrop of serious disruption that Guernsey Airport closed at 11.35pm on Sunday 18 August, preventing an Exeter flight on its final approach from landing.

The earlier departure of that flight on the outward leg to the UK at 10.08pm was the only Aurigny flight to take off after 9pm in August.

Mr Le Ray said that operators were only charged if they land or depart, and not if the airport agrees to stay open, but flights do not then land.

During the month there was also one arrival and one departure after 9pm made by Blue Islands, as well four Aurigny/Blue Islands Southampton codeshares landing after 9pm. It is not known how the airlines divide these charges.