Airport radar failure triggers replacement project

Previous efforts to repair the airfield radar at Jersey Airport have been unsuccessful

Jersey Airport's airfield radar system has failed and must be replaced, bosses have confirmed.

Despite plans to keep it operational until the early 2030s, Ports of Jersey said specialist engineers had determined the equipment, installed in 2012, needed to be urgently replaced.

The failure comes after "significant repair efforts" during the past year failed to resolve the problem, it said.

Keith Attwood, head of airport operations, stressed the safety and efficiency of air traffic services had not been compromised.

'Multiple levels of resilience'

Ports of Jersey, which manages the airport, said a project to install a new, modern radar system was under way, with installation anticipated in the first half of 2027.

This replacement is set to be part of a wider programme to modernise the Channel Islands' air traffic management systems.

Mr Attwood said: "Air traffic services are continuing safely and efficiently using other on-island radar systems and secure reciprocal data-sharing with Guernsey."

He said the Channel Islands benefited from "multiple levels of resilience" in the provision of critical radar services, which included radar sites at Les Platons in Jersey and equipment located in Guernsey.

"This shared network provides a resilient and full radar coverage across the Channel Islands airspace," he said.

Mr Attwood stated that air traffic controllers in Jersey were "highly trained and regularly tested in the use of multiple radar sources and contingency procedures," ensuring safe operations.

He added: "It is important to maintain the existing radar and to regularly invest in the provision of new equipment."

It is not yet clear how much the replacement of the airfield radar will cost.