Recertifying the runway could help our economy to the tune of half a billion pounds
THE question is not whether or not to recertify our Guernsey runway by installing the new safety system called EMAS at a one-off cost of £22m.
The question is can we afford not to?
It is calculated that the capital requirements just to fund Aurigny’s five-year business plan is of the order of £350m. Three new planes, new slots at Gatwick, Alderney new airport, etc.
Frontier Economics, aviation management specialists, estimate that recertifying the Guernsey airport runway, because of the EMAS installation, will allow airlines such as BA and EasyJet to use our runway. This will mean these much larger airlines are able to reduce ticket prices to the UK by more than half, allowing Guernsey at last to compete with the similar Jersey ticket prices.
Aviation specialists calculate that, over time, these much lower prices will bring a significant increase of 5% or more in visitor numbers, desperately needed by our tourist industry.
The resulting GDP increase to our island economy is calculated to be of the order £187m. over five years.
The cost of not restructuring Aurigny and the cost to our island economy of not allowing large airlines to fly into Guernsey is therefore in excess of £500m. over five years.
Under these circumstances what is ‘not to like’ about a one-off cost of the EMAS installation at £22m. helping our economy over five years to the tune of half a billion pounds.
Guernsey Aviation Action Group