When it comes to air links, it appears the States hasn’t the foggiest idea
LYNDON TROTT was scaremongering claiming that St Peter’s would be razed to the ground and deliberately stating that the runway extension would be 2,000m when he is well aware that 1,700 is the figure (In the States, 14 December).
Aurigny is trying desperately to avoid lengthening the runway to prevent competition. Deputy Neil Inder said: ‘As a functioning airline, it just seems like an errant teenager – it goes off, runs around, says I lost my money, and we just hand it out without any real scrutiny. We ask where they spent it and they won’t tell us.’ What an admission.
Deputy Ferbrache said the purchase of these ATRs would lead to a saving over 10 years of about £4m. net of purchase costs with over £1m. of that from savings gained by bringing in the clear vision fog busting technology.
What does this mean, is saving the same as profit? Aurigny has said that the technology could lead to a 50% reduction in the number of flights disrupted by fog. Fifty per cent of what?
I would like Colin Le Ray to show figures of how many Aurigny flights were disrupted due to fog last year, then we could work out what 50% means – and why not 100%?
Deputy Ferbrache has stated that some 800,000 people a year travelled by air here.
Would it interest him to know that in the year 2000 a total of 977,000 passengers passed through Guernsey and 1,685,000 passengers passed through Jersey? No wonder the tourist industry is concerned. Deputy Ferbrache thinks he has an airline but the airline has him.
Surely the States will not give away £60m. without a financial return. Not just a happy Aurigny CEO.
TOM CASTLEDINE.