New approach needed for the island’s airline

If ever there was a time for Aurigny to change course and gain altitude it is now.

With Covid-19 having taken a wrecking ball to the known world of aviation, steady as she goes was never an option. It is time to be bold and decisive.

Key to that is some clear direction from the airline’s shareholder, the States of Guernsey.

No part of the public portfolio suffered more from the indecisiveness and lack of cohesion and vision of the last Assembly (and its predecessor) than Aurigny.

Now, with a new team at the helm, is the time to decide whether the airline can be both profitable and meet all the public expectations of flexible flight times, cheap fares, multiple routes and a diverse fleet of aircraft.

A united front and an unambiguous message from leading politicians and the airline will help dispel some of the discontent that has risen along with the multi-million-pound losses and debt write-offs that have accrued since its purchase.

Aurigny has shown its worth in the last few months, as other airlines headed for the hills. But like so much else about owning an airline, it all comes at a huge cost.

After so much change it will take time for all the stakeholders to reach a consensus on the way forward. But once they do, they should announce it to the world and politicians and executives stand four-square behind the position.

That involves many factors. Aurigny does not operate in a vacuum. It needs to know whether open skies will continue, whether the runway length will be adjusted and what is happening with the Alderney routes.

Then it can judge what aircraft to operate and which routes are viable, and at what price.

Too often over the past few years the airline and the Assembly have been at loggerheads, failing to communicate or collaborate.

If this is to be a new start that has to stop.

Only then will the island get value for money from one of its most valuable assets.