Alderney States member Steve Roberts said he was trying to get answers yesterday after being stopped from asking questions about the current disruption at the previous day’s States meeting.
‘There is a sense of dismay over here in Alderney about yet another period where our air links have fallen below an acceptable standard,’ said Mr Roberts.
‘I have asked if this latest disruption to train pilots is a one-off. I have not yet received an answer. I suspect it may not be a one-off.’
He said he had also asked for more information from the States of Guernsey as the airline’s shareholder.
The airline confirmed on Wednesday that Alderney would lose half of its daily connections with Guernsey up until Saturday to allow for pilot training – two flights instead of four each day. Southampton services were unaffected.
Mr Roberts said that he picked up rumours of the reduced service just before the start of an Alderney States meeting on Wednesday. He said he was disappointed not to be allowed to pursue questions about the matter in the meeting itself.
However, he was on the case yesterday, submitting questions and then chairing a meeting of a new sub-committee of Alderney’s Policy & Finance Committee, which has been set up to drive a comprehensive review of air links which many people in the island believe have deteriorated. The committee is looking for independent reviewers to examine the impact of disruption on the island.
‘We want the plaster to be ripped off to see how deep the wound is. We will be evidential and targeted because we’ve got to get to the bottom of this for the sake of our island’s future.
‘We are in a fiscal partnership with Guernsey, but how can we be expected to flourish when we experience this sort of constant disruption in our air links?’
Aurigny has organised a ferry connection to run between the islands during the reduced schedule of flights. Mr Roberts said it was not a suitable replacement for the cancelled flights.
Aurigny said the reduced schedule of flights would allow partner airline Skybus to bring its cohort of pilots up to strength, but experienced pilots required for that training are also involved in flying daily services for Aurigny.
Skybus, which is part of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, has faced criticism recently from residents and businesses there who believe that services will suffer as a result of the company’s involvement on the Alderney route.
Aurigny said that the training of additional pilots would help sustain the best services possible in the future.
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