Runway U-turn 'devastates' Alderney businesses

Policy and Resources have promised a decision on the airport's future before June 2025

Businesses and politicians in Alderney have said they are "devastated" the project to extend the island's runway has been put on hold.

Director of the Blonde Hedgehog hotel Tracey Farquhar-Beck warned the uncertainty could lead to businesses shutting down.

Guernsey's Policy and Resources Committee (P&R) said the project was now "unviable" because of a £13m jump in the budget for the scheme.

Nigel Vooght, Alderney's most senior politician, said he was "devastated" the scheme was on hold and he would be working to try and find a way forward.

Mr Vooght said all options were on the table for the States of Alderney when it came to this project, including borrowing money and scaling the scheme back.

One of the goals of the Alderney runway extension was to allow States-owned airline Aurigny to operate bigger ATR aircraft in to the airport, rather than the current Dorniers.

The airline's chief commercial officer Sudeep Ghai reacted to the news the project was on hold: "We've expressed a number of times the benefits of having an ATR operation into Alderney.

"We are advocates of that perspective, so we can balance the books and offer connectivity, but the rest is a matter for politicians."

Alderney's most senior politician Nigel Vooght said he wasn't surprised by the news, but it was disappointing

Ms Farquhar-Beck said she was still hopeful there would be some movement on improvements to the runway soon.

She highlighted her business was "quiet" for July and there was only real interest in coming to the island in August during Alderney week, blaming issues with connectivity to and from the island.

"It's potentially devastating, if this isn't resolved, and I am hopeful it can be, but if it isn't hospitality businesses will close on this island," she said.

P&R expressed its intention to bring plans back to the States before June 2025 for the next steps with the project after discussing the scheme with the States of Alderney.

Guernsey Deputy John Dyke, who originally supported the project in December 2022, said he was "naive" to back the scheme at that point and would vote against the project in its current form if it came to the States again.

"The runway does need to be maintained and the terminal does need to be updated, so some money will need to be spent on that," he said.

"But we can't go for the full extension as discussed. We'd be far better to spend that money on the Guernsey runway, extending it to be a bit longer so we can run Boeing 737s in and out if we want to."