Up to £40,000 has been “made available” by the Government of Jersey to support Breton airline Finistair in trialling a new route connecting Jersey, Alderney and Brest.
The inaugural flight touched down at Jersey Airport for the first time on Friday with a water salute from fire engines.
There were seven passengers on board the Cessna Grand Caravan, which has the capacity to carry nine people.
Breton airline Finistair was brought on board to trial the routes, which Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said would improve “connectivity” and “cultural, social and economic ties between the Channel Islands and Brittany”.
In response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Law, the Economy Department confirmed that up to £40,000 has been “made available” to support Finistair in trialling the new air route.
The response continued: “This funding is intended to assist with the operational aspects of the route trial, which will be facilitated in coordination with Ports of Jersey.
“Department for the Economy has a Purchase Order arrangement with Ports of Jersey and this is not a loan, grant or investment.”
The services will run every Friday and Sunday from 27 June to 31 August.
Jersey-Brest return flights are currently advertised for between £101 and £114, with return flights to Alderney costing between £149 and £160.
Blue Islands announced in February that it would be running direct flights to Paris this summer. The airline also previously operated a direct route to Rennes.