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Royal Mail has made the decision to stop Jersey's daily mail plane service following a round of consultation with stakeholders.
The consultation decision, which was officially published today, confirms that Jersey's daily mail plane service will be discontinued and replaced with a ferry service due to declining volumes of letters.
Royal Mail will also be going ahead with their plans to amend the definition of 'Due Date' in the Channel Islands, meaning that they will not have to guarantee next day delivery.
The current definitions for 'Due Date' in the Channel Islands is in line with those in the UK. This means that, for customers who pay for First Class delivery, the 'Due Date' for a package sent is the following working day from the date of posting.
For customers who pay Second Class, the 'Due Date' is the third working day following the date of posting.
However, the Royal Mail will now change these 'Due Dates' to allow for an extra working day for packages to arrive in the Channel Islands.
The company says this will allow them to "continue to offer a reliable service" without "being bound be the definition of due date".
Pictured: Royal Mail will be going ahead with their plans to scrap Jersey's daily mail flight.
The daily mail flight will cease to operate on 7 August 2023. From then on, all inbound and outbound mail will be carried by the existing ferry service.
Royal Mail argues that, due to declining volumes of letters, using a ferry instead of a dedicated daily flight will offer a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly option.
According to Jersey Post, this will cause minimal disruption to customers as most items, including amazon parcels are already delivered by ferry.
However, online retailers have previously expressed their concerns that the ferry service will be slower and more susceptible to weather delays.
Jake Shaw, Director of the online retailer Euraco, previously told Express that the loss of the plane would have an impact on "supply chains, consumers and for those businesses which both import and export."
Pictured: Jersey Post have assured islanders that this decision will not affect Amazon deliveries.
Christopher Bee, the Managing Director of the airport baggage handling firm OceanAir, previously launched an online petition to save the plane.
He warned Express that the loss of the plane would leave his business "economically unviable" and force him to close, depriving the island of any air freight handling.
Jersey Post have acknowledged that some businesses will be affected, and have stated that they "were working with these for some time to help them prepare and find the fastest alternative routes possible where time-critical delivery is key".
Pictured: Jersey Post are working with businesses affected by the loss of the plane.
Mark Siviter, CEO of Jersey Post Group, said: “Our responsibility is to our customers, and while most will not notice any change, our priority is to find solutions for those impacted.
"We are using our expertise, extensive logistics network and partners to achieve the best possible outcomes.”
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel, said: “The withdrawal of Royal Mail’s mail plane is not expected to have any impact on inbound deliveries to the Island because, with the exception of special delivery items, these are already delivered by sea.
“I understand that Jersey Post is working closely with the affected online retailers and fulfilment companies to find alternative solutions, and the Government will be closely monitoring the situation as they take effect.”
The report following the decision can be read HERE.
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