Government launches review into Aurigny disruption

The review follows a period of cancellations and delays for the airline

Guernsey's government will launch an independent review into Aurigny's flight disruption and assess whether its fleet is fit for purpose.

It follows a period of disruption including a delayed flight having to return to its destination moments before landing.

"Aurigny’s performance in recent months has, at times, fallen well below the standard that islanders have a right to expect," said States’ Trading Supervisory Board (STSB) President Peter Roffey.

An Aurigny spokesperson said following a "challenging six months" the board was "pleased" to participate in the review.

The review has been commissioned by the STSB, which acts as shareholder of Aurigny on behalf of the States of Guernsey.

The airline is going through a period of transition as it simplifies its fleet, which includes selling its only jet in July.

Deputy Roffey said Aurigny’s own board of directors approved the fleet changes, as well as the plan for managing the transition.

"The recent experience raises questions as to how good that plan was, and more importantly how well-equipped the airline will be going forward to deliver the island’s lifeline air connectivity," he said.

'Fallen well below'

Aurigny has attracted criticism for its handling of disruption and how it interacts with its customers in recent months.

Airline bosses have reassured the public that its changes to the fleet would help improve reliability on several occasions during the disruption.

STSB said the timing of the review would depend on how quickly someone with the necessary expertise could be appointed and how soon they could carry out the work.

Mr Roffey said the review would be conducted by someone with considerable experience of the commercial aviation industry.

“The review will focus firstly on whether the current timetable can be reliably delivered using five ATRs, with a high degree of resilience," he said.

"Secondly why the fleet transition process has led to periods where that resilience has fallen well below the levels Guernsey has a right to expect."

Debt written off

An Aurigny spokesman said: "We understand the importance of providing islanders, visitors, and businesses with reliable and resilient air links - this independent review aims to ensure just that."

They added: "We hope this review will reassure the Guernsey public that we are doing everything we can to provide them with a resilient and dependable service that is fit for purpose."

Aurigny has struggled to consistently make a profit since the airline was bought by the government for £5m in 2003.

The States of Guernsey has twice voted to use taxpayers money to write off the debt Aurigny has accumulated.

In 2015, £19.9m of debt was written off and States members voted to spend more than £60m recapitalising the airline in 2021.