Guernsey’s potential next P&R President thinks it is nearing time to review Aurigny’s long term ownership.
Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq was tasked by the current Policy and Resources Committee with fronting the publication of the States’ 2024 Accounts this week.
He’s expected to be nominated for the role of P&R President when the new States are sworn in next week.
As the senior States Member in the new Assembly he should be able to sway what happens over the next four years – and despite saying it’s not the time for any knee jerk reactions, Deputy Le Tocq did tell Express that we need to review “the way in which it is run and the way in which we own it, and what its benefit might be for Guernsey”.
The States Accounts for 2024 show the airline posted an operating loss of £6.5million last year.
It had actually seen turnover hit £60m during 2024, reflecting revenue growth of 5% year-on-year compared to 2023 when it had made a £1.7m profit – but the cost of wet leases, and compensating passengers for delayed or cancelled flights put its expenditure, not including staffing, up to £50.5m.
The airline had blamed its problems last year on a ‘black swan’ event of planes going tech while a fleet restructuring was under way.
These problems were highlighted by many candidates during the election campaign – with re-elected Deputy Neil Inder saying he wanted to get on to STSB for this term of office so he can sack the airline’s board.
Other re-elected deputies including Simon Vermuelen have consistently called for improvements to off island travel saying it is impacting the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller wrote in her manifesto that Guernsey needs to develop a new air policy framework that doesn’t rely on Aurigny so much.
Former deputies who are back in the States for another term, Marc Laine and Sarah Hansmann Rouxel also both referenced Aurigny’s troubles in their manifestos.
Deputy Le Tocq urged caution against making any quick reaction to Aurigny’s £6.5m loss in 2024 once the new States is sworn in though, saying the airline is operating in tricky conditions at the best of times.
“We are so small as a jurisdiction that a lot of the things we seek to do are sub optimal, and so they’re volatile,” he said.
“They have a volatility to certain things that if we were a larger jurisdiction, we’d have greater flexibility, and we’d be able to deal with it. Aurigny is certainly, one of those.”
Deputy Le Tocq had some words of praise for Aurigny, citing its fleet restructuring as a positive, and its performance during the covid pandemic. But he admitted it is time to look again at why Guernsey owns an airline, and what’s best for the island and Aurigny in the future.
“It is rationalising its fleet, which I think is a very wise thing to do, of course, that doesn’t reflect in last year’s accounts, but it will make a change, and it will make it easier to manage.
“We’ve expected far too much from Aurigny and I’m glad we own it. There is a debate about whether we should continue to own it, or partly own it, or whatever. I’m happy to debate those things but I don’t think we should make knee jerk decisions based on a few years. And it hasn’t just been one year, it’s been a few years, and not surprisingly during covid. But how would we have coped with without it? During covid Jersey had far more problems, and they don’t own an airline. So there have been some good things. Let’s not forget that. There have been years where Aurigny has won accolades for being the most reliable and on time airline in the British Isles, but this hasn’t been a good year, 2024, for them.
“Let’s not make knee jerk reactions, but we do need to have a review of the way in which it is run and the way in which we own it, and what its benefit might be for Guernsey.”