Royal Mail pulls funding for daily mail plane

Guernsey Post said it has been "working hard" to secure a deal with alternative potential partners

Guernsey Post has said it is "working hard" to secure mail plane deliveries to and from the island after Royal Mail announced it would end its financial contribution to the service.

Royal Mail said it would pull its funding for the service from April 2025.

The island's postal service said under its current arrangements Guernsey Post and Royal Mail made an "equal contribution" to the cost of the aircraft used to transport mail between Guernsey and the UK.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said the decision has been made amid a steady "decline in letter volume" which resulted in flights to the island often being "underfilled".

'Disappointing'

“Following the results of a consultation with stakeholders last year, Royal Mail will end deliveries to Guernsey by aircraft," the spokesperson said.

"Instead, deliveries to the island will use pre-existing ferries resulting in a two-day service.

"It will reduce costs and reflects our commitment to decreasing our reliance on flights as we work towards a 2040 net zero target.”

Chief executive of Guernsey Post, Boley Smillie said the postal service was informed earlier this year about the cut, adding it was "disappointing news".

'Business as usual'

"However, we have been working hard to secure a deal with alternative potential partners. As commercial negotiations are under way it is too early to comment further but we are making good progress.

"Our priority is to secure the current or a similar aircraft and maintain next day delivery services to the UK from Guernsey.”

He said the service has been working collaboratively with several of its major clients who export from the island and have been kept "fully informed of the developments" and were "supportive" of its plans.

Mr Smillie added: "In the meantime, it is at least seven months before any change takes place, so it is business as usual.”