Bosses from the two airlines providing flights in and out of Alderney met this week to agree improvement targets, following a public demonstration on Sunday.

Aurigny recently moved away from using its own Dornier aircraft fleet for its Alderney routes, which is now operated by Skybus using Twin Otters.

Following concerns being raised about the recent service levels, Aurigny’s CEO, Nico Bezuidenhou met with his Skybus counterpart Jonathan Hinkles as well as representatives from Alderney to “review key milestones for the successful delivery of the Alderney schedule over the coming summer season”.

They agreed timelines for having two Twin Otters in the bailiwick, recruitment and training of crew, and supported restoring “a reliable fuel supply at Alderney” to improve the reliability of the Medevac service.

Determined to improve

Aurigny Chairman Kevin George said both companies took “the concerns raised by the local population and political representatives in Alderney extremely seriously”. 

A Twin Otter aircraft flying toward the camera against a partly cloudy sky. It is a small plane with twin propellers.
Pictured: The Twin Otters perform as well in difficult weather conditions as Alderney’s previous Dornier planes, and in some cases better.

Performance had improved since the Twin Otters were introduced, he said, but both companies were “determined that future performance will build further on these foundations”.

“Our aim is for all stakeholders to share our confidence in the future and that is why we are taking immediate measures together with Skybus to strengthen operational robustness and ensure operational performance to the highest standards well into the future,” he added.

Positive talks

Alderney’s most-senior politician, Jeannie Cameron, said the meeting was “positive and constructive”, adding: “I believe we all learned a great deal from the conversation.”

“I would also like to thank Nico for taking the time to come to Alderney on Sunday to speak directly with members of the public and hear their genuine concerns – that engagement was appreciated.”

Large group gathered outdoors holding protest signs.
Pictured: Aurigny CEO Nico Bezuidenhou spoke to nearly 200 protestors on Sunday.

Commitments

Both companies said there had been “progress with the Twin Otter fleet and crew training”, and committed to the following developments:

DHC 6 Twin Otter aircraft

  1. Skybus confirmed that the second Twin Otter aircraft will be on island in Guernsey from the Easter holiday weekend. From this point onwards, two aircraft in the Skybus livery will be available for services to/from Alderney and provide the operational back up of a second aircraft. 
  2. The first Twin Otter aircraft (MSN299) to be permanently dedicated to the Aurigny operation is expected to receive its final approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority in the coming days, after which the aircraft will be added onto the Skybus Air Operator Certificate.  
  3. Initially, Skybus will operate this aircraft, which has been newly rebuilt, on their own services for a six- to eight-week period. The aircraft, bearing the registration G-NETS, is expected to be in Guernsey in late May, when it will become the primary aircraft assigned to Alderney services. An additional Skybus-liveried aircraft, based in Guernsey, will serve as a full-time on-site backup.
  4. MSN 664, a sister aircraft to the Twin Otter with the registration G-NETS, has been secured by Skybus and will arrive in Land’s End at the end of May, where it will undergo its re-certification process.  
  5. The second aircraft, after its registration and bedding-in period, will then be assigned to Alderney services from the start of October 2026.
  6. By October 2026, all Alderney services will be delivered by the two dedicated Twin Otter aircraft, proudly displaying Aurigny’s livery. During times of annual aircraft maintenance, or should both Aurigny-liveried aircraft be unserviceable at the same time for any reason, a Skybus-liveried Twin Otter will serve as a backup aircraft.   

Skybus crews

  1. Recruitment for dedicated crew in the service of Alderney operations has been completed, and training has been in progress for some time. Training will, progressively, be completed by the end of June.
  2. Between now and the end of June, the ‘lifeline’ services will be supported by dedicated Alderney crew as they complete their training, and when necessary, by existing fully qualified Skybus crews.
  3. Crew training has been impeded by poor weather conditions, and by a lack of aircraft availability following damage caused by Storm Goretti.  Skybus has contracted additional crew training resource to accelerate the process. 

Medevac

Now fully in place, with a second stretcher fit ordered. For the record, as of 24 March, there have not been any callouts since the new service has been in place. 

Following rumours circulating in the community, Aurigny and Skybus can confirm categorically to the States of Alderney and the community that:

  1. Cross wind limitations for the DHC 6 Twin Otter in Alderney are the same as for the Dornier 228 NG. The aircraft has the same night-time flying capability as the Dornier 228 NG and boasts superior performance in wet weather conditions at Alderney Airport.
  2. Since the introduction of the Twin Otter in November 2025, Alderney’s air services have seen a lower rate of flight disruption due to technical reasons.
  3. Payload remains constrained due to fuel availability at Alderney Airport, which can impact the number of passengers and baggage that can be carried on occasion. This especially impacts services to and from Southampton if extra fuel has to be carried due to inclement weather.  Aurigny and Skybus fully support the restoration of a reliable fuel supply at Alderney.