Aurigny ‘does support’ local sporting events
NETBALL’S inter-insular plight and the ‘bigger question’ of Aurigny’s ability to carry sports teams were highlighted at a States meeting on Wednesday.
The Guernsey Netball Association called off next month’s planned inter-insular trip following Aurigny’s apparent U-turn on their chartered flight to Jersey, a situation that was mentioned in the States.
In response to a question from Deputy Simon Fairclough, Education, Sport & Culture president Andrea Dudley-Owen called the situation ‘really very disappointing’ and confirmed she had asked officers to reach out to the GNA.
‘It does raise a bigger question about our States-run airline and their ability to be able to carry out sports teams, and it should be on our radar as and when these type of things happen,’ she said.
She noted the ‘quid pro quo’ of the airline being funded by islanders through travel costs and taxpayers’ money.
States’ Trading Supervisory Board president Peter Roffey has since responded to the Guernsey Press, clarifying Aurigny’s approach to supporting sport.
The States had last year agreed on an air policy framework with several prioritised objectives for Aurigny.
‘A key part of Aurigny’s business plan is to maximise the use of its existing aircraft and crew resources,’ he said.
‘Therefore it can, and does, support community and sporting events, provided this does not compromise its primary objective to maintain its scheduled routes to and from the Bailiwick.
‘For example, in June it will be operating flights between Alderney and Jersey to help participation in a golfing competition in Alderney.
‘However, what we do not ask Aurigny to do is to maintain spare stand-by aircraft and crew capacity to operate ad hoc charter flights, as the considerable cost of doing so would be prohibitive.
‘Aurigny can therefore only provide such services when there is space in its existing schedules to do so and it has both aircraft and crew available.’
An Aurigny spokeswoman had confirmed that it is using the plane in question for crew training but stated that the initial charter quote was supplied ‘subject to aircraft availability’.
Last week, GNA development officer Amy Fallaize had admitted she was ‘bitterly disappointed’ to go another year without inter-insulars.
‘I think locally as a sport, netball has still got a long way to go,’ she said.
‘We haven’t got our own venue to fall back on in situations like this and we’re working with a relatively small team of volunteers.
‘We’re just at the start of a new journey and for things to continue in the right direction, we really do need people to get behind us with their support,’ Fallaize added.
