A Skybus Twin Otter aircraft is now flying to and from Alderney, before Aurigny starts phasing out the Dornier from early next year.
Last Saturday saw Aurigny’s first service by its Twin Otter aircraft in Skybus livery, before an official welcome was held.
That happened on Monday with the new aircraft welcomed to Alderney by Bill Abel; Chair of Policy & Finance in the States of Alderney, and Nico Bezuidenhout; Chief Executive Officer of Aurigny.
A special commemorative cake in Aurigny’s colours, made locally in Alderney, was cut by Steve Parilla; Aurigny’s Station Manager in Alderney.
“This service by the world-renowned De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft represents both a significant landmark in the history of Alderney’s aviation and a new era in building ever more reliable, stable, and sustainable service on the lifeline routes between Alderney and Guernsey, as well as between Alderney and Southampton,” said Mr Bezuidenhout.
“This is a proud day for us all, particularly considering Aurigny was born out of Alderney. This step provides us with the right platform to ensure financial sustainability for this vital service well into the future.”
Mr Abel said: “We now have a much more resilient service than we’ve had for some time for the island of Alderney. Compared to the Dornier, this service is a lot more robust. Aurigny’s continued positive support for the island is appreciated.”
The Twin Otter services will be operated for Aurigny by Isles of Scilly Skybus.
Initially both the Twin Otters and the existing Dornier 228 NG fleet will fly between Alderney and Guernsey and Southampton.
Jonathan Hinkles, Managing Director at Skybus, said the dedicated Twin Otter which will shortly enter service has been completely refitted from tip to toe, with freshly overhauled engines, state-of-the-art avionics, and comfortable seating with a fresh new cabin interior.
“The progress we have made together in a short period of time is remarkable and underlines our shared commitment to the community of Alderney. Our prime objective is to deliver a highly dependable service both for Aurigny and its passengers.”
Aurigny has warned there may be some challenges during the transition from the Dornier fleet to the Twin Otters.
“Aurigny respectfully asks our passengers to be understanding of this and provide feedback to the airline on their experiences through Aurigny’s Post Flight Survey to help the airline get the service right every time from the outset,” said a spokesperson for the airline.