Gatwick route added to lifeline air service

Thursday 21 May 2020

A weekly return flight between Jersey and London Gatwick will start next week as an addition to the ‘lifeline’ air links with the UK, it has been announced.

The service will be operated by Blue Islands as part of its agreement with the Government of Jersey to maintain vital travel between Jersey and the mainland, with a single journey costing a flat fee of £100. The Government is providing funding of £5,263 per return flight service (rotation) to secure the link.

Only available for strictly essential travel on- and off the island, it’s hoped that the addition of the Gatwick route will improve the provision for those travelling for medical reasons, or for those going via the UK as part of their necessary travel. 

The Government say that it is not anticipated that this will dramatically increase the number of passengers arriving in Jersey.

Pictured: The new route will add to the lifeline air services between Jersey and the UK. 

The Jersey-Gatwick route will see one flight depart from Jersey at 13:20 and depart from Gatwick at 15:15 every Tuesday until further notice. This service will run in addition to the existing Blue Islands Jersey-Southampton flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

All passengers will still need pre-travel authorisation before booking their flights. These applications assess the reason for travel and ensure that it is permissible under the necessary travel criteria. Passengers will be required to complete a health declaration to confirm that they have no symptoms of covid-19.

As in the case of Jersey-Southampton rotations, bookings on the Jersey-Gatwick route will be available only for single journeys and will be charged at a flat fee of £100 per leg. The Government is providing funding of £5,263 per rotation to secure these air services.

Government officials have emphasised that all other commercial sea and air routes, and private aircraft, are only permitted to travel if they have prior authorisation. This warning comes after the Channel Islands only ferry service Condor announced that it hoped to resume high-speed craft sailings to Jersey in June after switching to a freight-only service in light of covid-19 travel restrictions.

Pictured: Condor announced they wanted to resume their regular sailings in June, along with slashing crew numbers. 

This was announced in conjunction with the key ferry company saying they would need to slash crew numbers due to the impact of the pandemic. 

Jersey Customs and Immigration (JCIS) are monitoring all inbound and outbound passengers and enforcing self-isolation for anyone with symptoms. Ports of Jersey are only granting permission to fly or berth following JCIS authorisation. 

The travel authorisation and health declaration form is available through Blue Islands’ website, and all private aircraft and boats are asked to contact JCIS to obtain the appropriate form.