Air Alderney "very near" to finally taking off

Tuesday 09 November 2021

An airline still yet to officially lift off after more than four years says it will finally be starting scheduled services - including a direct link between Alderney and Jersey - "in the very near future".

An Air Alderney Islander aircraft was at Alderney Airport over the weekend and islanders were invited to "come say hello if you see the team around the island".

Now Air Alderney has released a statement to say that it is "in the final process of settling the agreements necessary for a scheduled air service to give you the connectivity you deserve, beginning in the new year with return flights to Shoreham [Brighton City Airport] from Alderney".

Air Alderney says that its Alderney-Shoreham route will initially be a charter service before it expands onto the Channel Islands' route. 

"After we have successfully launched our initial operation, we will be focusing on implementing a second route to operate scheduled flights between Alderney and Jersey," said the company.

"We believe these two routes together will offer you the best options for onward journeys, connecting family and friends, business, and much, much more.

"We will be in touch very soon with more information regarding further details on how to charter a flight, the frequency of our scheduled flights and our competitive prices. We look forward to seeing you onboard soon."

Air Alderney first announced it would be launching in 2017, but appeared to stall in 2019 amid disagreements with Guernsey's government about applications for air route licences.

Yesterday, it confirmed that it had finally obtained its Air Operator Certificate.

Pictured: An Air Alderney aircraft was in Alderney at the weekend and the company has now announced further plans to commence air services shortly.

Meanwhile, the States of Alderney are making preparations for a ferry service between Alderney and Guernsey for the 2022 season, and are inviting expressions of interest on a no-commitment basis.

Ideally, they would like the service to consist of two rotations daily for a minimum of five days a week, including Fridays and Saturdays, to encourage overnight stays in Alderney. 

They hope the ferry service will operate from the last weekend in May until the end of September.

Steve Roberts, a member of the States of Alderney and an Alderney Representative in Guernsey's States of Deliberation, said this was a crucial time for travel links to and from Alderney and that he was optimistic about his island's future.

Pictured: The Blonde Hedgehog recently launched a new vessel, The Salty Blonde, to operate to and from Alderney. 

“Alderney is approaching a crossroads in both connectivity and economic recovery,” said Mr Roberts. "But I am more optimistic than I have been for years in the future of our Bailiwick.

"The ferry tenders are out and I hope to see a boat with capacity for at least 40 passengers. That would be my personal wish. 

"Air Alderney is planning to start its routes soon. Of course we have waited some considerable time to see what would happen with their services, but I hope they are successful."

Mr Roberts reiterated his long-standing calls for a longer runway at Alderney Airport.

"The key driver for connectivity and economic recovery is a longer runway, for two reasons: first, it would ensure an Aurigny service between Alderney and Guernsey beyond the PSO [Public Service Obligation], which is not guaranteed as we stand; second, we need additional capacity to help our island grow.

"At the moment our capacity is stretched and fragile with only two aircraft."