Aurigny-Skybus plane takes to sky for first time

On Monday, the new plane was officially welcomed to Alderney

Aurigny's first service by a Twin Otter aircraft in Skybus livery took to the skies over the Channel Islands over the weekend.

The aircraft, which will operate on flights between Guernsey and Alderney, and Guernsey and Southampton, arrived from Canada in October and had its first official islands flight on Saturday.

The new plane was also officially welcomed to Alderney on Monday by Bill Abel, Chair of Policy & Finance in the States of Alderney, and Aurigny CEO Nico Bezuidenhout.

A dedicated Twin Otter aircraft, exclusively for use by Aurigny and its passengers, was due to enter service later in the year, the airline said.

Skybus managing director Jonathan Hinkles said: "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."

In early January, Aurigny will be withdrawing its Dornier 228 NG fleet from service.