Public Service Agreement aims to secure air links

Deputy Parkinson met with Policy and Finance chairman James Dent.

‘Deputy Parkinson believes that widening the runway and the development of a Public Service Agreement should go hand in hand,’ said Andrew Muter, who has taken over from Alderney’s interim chief executive Adrian Lewis.

‘When we establish the Public Service Agreement that will secure our links to Guernsey and Southampton, and that means more for the economy of Alderney than almost anything else.

‘We still need to have discussions around the issue of subsidy and the States of Alderney’s involvement in that, but I think it was very positive.’

Deputy Parkinson said: ‘It is clear that the success of the public service agreement process for the Guernsey-Alderney air route is connected with the progression of the runway rehabilitation project, and so the discussions we had are helpful in making sure that those processes are aligned. Alderney’s offer to input formally into the public service agreement process is very welcome, and very important, as we must work together.’

Discussions also included areas such as tourism and marketing, and Guernsey’s Director of Tourism & Marketing has been invited to join the new Alderney Tourism Liaison Panel.

Mr Dent said: ‘The Committee for Economic Development’s understanding of Alderney issues is strong, and I will be inviting them all to Alderney later this year to meet the Policy & Finance Committee for further discussions.’