Airport tax proposed to improve assisted travel

A 70p charge per person would be on top of current tariffs

Guernsey Ports has proposed a 70p per passenger tariff to help cover the cost of improving assisted travel for people with disabilities.

The charge would be on top of existing passenger fees on commercial flights, which it plans to increase by 73p to £7.56.

It said the tariff increases would likely be passed on to customers.

Colin Le Ray, managing director, said the planned price increases formed part of its commitment to improve conditions for disabled travellers, which included "two new Aviramps which assist with boarding aircrafts".

'Standards maintained'

"Besides improving facilities and equipment, the service charge will enable us to formalise the resource requirements and enhance external oversight, to ensure standards are maintained," Mr Le Ray said.

Ports is consulting with stakeholders on its proposed tariff increases for 2025.

Mr Le Ray said the organisation had "written to all our stakeholders and are inviting them to comment on our proposals over the next four weeks".

As well as the proposed airport tariff increases, Ports is proposing above inflation increases in a range of areas including marina fees, airport landing fees, harbour charges, and cargo and freight fees.

Under the proposals, adults travelling by ferry between Guernsey and the UK or France would pay £5.39 in tariffs, 74p more than currently, while tariffs for inter-island services would increase by 32p to £1.63.

The proposals come as part of Ports' wider strategy to eliminate its need for taxpayer subsidy.

'Cost savings'

Since 2020, Guernsey Ports said it has had £33m of subsidy from the States to cover a fall in income since the pandemic.

Despite increasing, passenger numbers are still 16% lower than pre-pandemic levels, it said.

In 2023, it started a programme to become self-funding again in the future and remove the need for taxpayer support.

It said it had halved its annual operating deficit to £1.4m so far, before any capital investments.

Mr Le Ray said Ports had made about £600,000 of cost savings in its 2025 budget, mostly at Guernsey Airport.