The delays were caused by technical issues with the Twin Otter aircraft currently in Guernsey.
Three alternative boat services organised by the airline were operated by Buz White's private charter.
Under Aurigny’s contract with Skybus, two Twin Otters are to be based permanently in Guernsey, providing a high level of resilience for Alderney’s air services. However, at present, one of these aircraft is being used to train flight crews on the route, which leaves one aircraft in the island for operations in the short term.
During this period, a second aircraft is available to be positioned promptly to Guernsey in the event of any technical issues with the current on-island aircraft. Skybus dispatched an aircraft yesterday afternoon so normal service could resume once fog had lifted.
The disruption followed the cancellation of flights on Thursday to allow for medevac testing and training.
'We appreciate the people of Alderney’s patience and understanding at times when things don’t always go to plan. During the Dornier era, a similar situation would likely have resulted in much more disruption over an extended period,' said Philip Saunders, chief commercial officer at Aurigny.
'Despite having two Dornier aircraft, one aircraft at any given time frequently required extended maintenance. In 2025, this meant there were 150 days when only one Dornier aircraft was available, with no back-up solution.'
Despite yesterday's cancellations, the airline has said the Twin Otter aircraft had increased reliability, with flight cancellations down by 7.9% and passenger numbers up by 4.3% since the introduction of the Twin Otter until the end of February, and compared to the same period in the previous year. The aircraft benefits from a higher wet runway crosswind limit than the Dornier 228-NG.
'The Twin Otter is clearly going to strengthen Aurigny’s performance on the Alderney "lifeline" routes for the future,' said Mr Saunders.
'We will continue to step up our efforts throughout the year for customers in Alderney.
'On the commercial side, we strive to make our Alderney services ever more attractive. As a result, I am pleased to announce that through fares from and to Alderney across the entire Aurigny network are now available, which will make travel more straightforward than ever. And next week, we will launch a special promotional offer exclusively on services to and from Alderney.'
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