Incoming mail will now be brought in by ferry

In the past Royal Mail has funded the mail plane to the island, while Guernsey Post paid for the flights to the UK.

But Royal Mail decided to pull its funding for air services to all three Crown Dependencies, and although Guernsey was left until last, it will no longer run an air service to the island.

Guernsey Post CEO Steve Sheridan said it had spent seven months looking at options and had settled on chartering a plane to export local bulk mail, estimated between four and six tonnes a day.

When asked why the incoming mail could not then be flown back on the Guernsey-based plane, he said the company was reacting to Royal Mail’s strategic decision to reduce costs in its own network amid a steady decline in letter volumes and this would towards a 2040 net zero target.

The longer-term objective for Guernsey Post is to utilise the space on the incoming aircraft and discussions are ongoing.

‘We’ve managed to secure a good deal that works for the business,’ he said.

The plan is to charter an ATR-72 plane – the same type as operated by Aurigny – with a six-tonne capacity, which will be based in Guernsey.

It will then fly to East Midlands Airport each evening, five days a week.

On Saturdays Guernsey Post has arranged for space on an outgoing Aurigny flight for commercial mail.

The export issue is particularly important for Guernsey Post, as major greeting card companies Funky Pigeon and Moonpig export daily from Guernsey.

Mr Sheridan said this meant it needed to ensure the cards were sent ready for next day delivery.

But the plane would also carry parcels from other local exporters and outgoing mail.

Mr Sheridan said the new arrangements would result in a ‘marginal uplift in costs’ that the utility was able to manage.

For incoming mail and parcels, they will be driven to Portsmouth and then brought over on the Condor Islander overnight.

Mr Sheridan said this meant the mail would be arriving at the harbour at about 4am. While this is earlier than the mail plane at the airport, which lands at about 6.30am, the boat will carry a variety of freight, so it will take longer to off-load than the dedicated mail plane.

Mr Sheridan said Post would be doing some training with staff, and the plan was to get the mail going out the same day, with deliveries from 8.30am.

Despite this, islanders may notice mail arriving up to 24 hours later than currently due to transit in UK.

‘We are delighted to continue providing our customers with a robust and reliable export solution,’ said Mr Sheridan.

‘Our new service ensures seamless injection into the Royal Mail network all while maintaining an efficient and consistent export service for our Bailiwick residents.’

Guernsey is the last Crown Dependency to lose its mail plane, an ATR 72 operated by West Atlantic, after Jersey’s was scrapped in August 2023, and the Isle of Man service two months later.

Last year Royal Mail said the changes were due to a steady decline in letter volumes. A spokesman said the move would reduce cost and enhance its move to net-zero.

About half the island’s incoming mail comes in by air.

The current mail plane will cease operations on Friday 4 April and the new service will commence on Monday 7 April.