In a formal submission to Guernsey’s Transport Licensing Authority, Alex Snowdon asked it to examine the arrangements between Aurigny and its contracted operator, Skybus, and to determine whether they adequately protect the interests of Alderney’s residents, businesses and visitors.
‘The question that must now be answered is whether Alderney has a genuine lifeline air service or merely a published timetable that cannot consistently be relied upon,’ Mr Snowdon wrote.
He stressed that his concern was not with occasional cancellations caused by bad weather, which islanders understood, but with something ‘much more fundamental’ – pointing to ‘repeated operational failures, insufficient aircraft and crew resilience, inadequate contingency arrangements, poor passenger communication and a growing loss of public confidence’.
He said the operator itself and Aurigny had acknowledged service levels falling short.
The submission set out a pattern of crew shortages, with disruption caused by pilot absences in March and ‘unprecedented’ sickness in October, and raised an unconfirmed concern that up to three senior captains could leave Skybus – a significant risk, Mr Snowdon said, given that training a new Twin Otter captain was understood to take around 52 weeks.
He also questioned whether the islanders had received the aircraft they were promised. Although Aurigny and Skybus had publicly assured the community of two Twin Otters based in Guernsey, Mr Snowdon said only one had been in regular use, with the second delayed, while the higher-payload aircraft best suited to Alderney appeared to have been used more on Skybus’s Isles of Scilly routes. Because Alderney has no refuelling facilities, he warned, using a lower-payload aircraft risked passengers and baggage being left behind even when a flight operated.
The submission pointed to the strength of public feeling – including a protest by more than 200 people at the airport in March and a 710-signature petition – and to the economic toll, with hospitality losses of around £450,000 cited in a recent States debate.
Mr Snowdon has asked the authority to establish what assurances were obtained before the service began, how many aircraft and crew were genuinely available, and whether penalties applied when the service fell short, and to refer any matters outside its remit to other States committees.
Mr Snowdon is currently suspended from attending Alderney States meetings, but remains a member of the States of Guernsey as one of two Alderney representatives.
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