But Aurigny has denied claims that the decrease is in the order of 1,000 a month across the year. It said that it would mainly be operating the same number of flights but issues with the Twin Otter aircraft would restrict the number of seats available.
The airline said it expected to offer in the order of 100 fewer seats a week.
Aurigny unveiled its summer ‘lifeline’ schedules for sale between Alderney and Guernsey, and Alderney and Southampton, in the run-up to Christmas. It is offering up to four returns each day between Guernsey and Alderney and two daily returns between Southampton and Alderney.
Summer 2026 will be the first full season when services to Alderney will be operated by partner airline Skybus, on behalf of Aurigny, using Twin Otter aircraft.
Alderney States member Steve Roberts was among a number of residents who commented on social media posts claiming that the new schedule meant 32 fewer seats each day, which added up to almost 12,000 seats over the year.
He said the loss in seats was down to the introduction of the new Twin Otter aircraft and said he had warned at the time that if Alderney was to keep the same capacity, the island would need more flights.
‘The aircraft in themselves are fine, and it’s the same number of flights,’ he said.
‘But the Otters have less of a payload, they are only selling around 14 seats, compared to the Dorniers that could take 18.
‘We have residents struggling to make medical appointments such as chemotherapy where consultants are only in Guernsey for the day. A rethink is needed.’
Fellow States member Derwent Smithurst, a former Aurigny pilot, said he had been disappointed about the schedule.
‘The Otters and Dorniers have got the same number of seats, but I think the problem is the Otters are limited with the amount of fuel they can carry,’ he said.
‘If the aeroplane’s going on to Southampton from Alderney, they fill up in Guernsey, come to Alderney, drop off passengers, pick up the next.
‘But they can’t refuel here, so they have to carry enough fuel to get them all the way to Southampton, where they can fill up on fuel again.’
No aviation fuel has been available on Alderney since February 2024 when operator Rubis decided it was no longer commercially viable.
Aurigny denied the claimed reduction in seats.
‘In fact, we are confident that we will transport at least as many passengers to and from Alderney in summer 2026 as we did in summer 2025,’ said a spokeswoman.
‘We are offering capacity at the right times and removing empty seats.
‘We anticipate higher load factors which also keeps price inflation down on tickets.’
She said that in terms of the inter-island flights, planned scheduled sectors – a single, non-stop flight portion between two airports – were down by 6%.
She added that this was down to a reduction in flights before the end of April, when demand is lower, but the airline was operating up to a maximum of 12 sectors a day to ensure more reliable service for the rest of the summer season.
The airline has estimated 4,000 fewer seats inter-island and about 800 fewer between Alderney and Southampton.
She confirmed that the reduction in capacity was in part due to payload restrictions on the Twin Otter, with an anticipated average of 16 seats available for sale.
‘However, it should be remembered that there were frequently payload restrictions on the Dornier 228 which, in reality, carried a maximum of 18 passengers,’ she said.
‘It should be stressed that these figures will be improved and increased, as we add extra services which have not yet been published or opened for sale.’
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