Survey probes storm-damaged Guernsey Airport roof

The work at Guernsey Airport began last April

Engineers have begun inspecting the 21-year-old roof at Guernsey Airport as part of ongoing efforts to address long-standing structural issues.

The roof has suffered repeated failures in high winds, with repair work now required to fix problems with its cladding.

The most recent damage happened in November 2023 when Storm Ciarán brought torrential rain and 70mph (112km/h) gusts to the island, dislodging several roof panels that fell onto the airside apron.

To secure remaining loose panels and prevent further damage, scaffolding was installed across both the upper and lower sections of the building.

Restricted access

Local firm T&G Structural Engineers was appointed to lead the survey.

So far the firm has completed its initial research, including a review of airports plans and maintenance records to identify areas of the roof needing closer inspection.

The roof is made up of two parts - an upper section above the terminal's first-floor area and a lower one covering the ground floor arrivals and departures zone.

The detailed on-site survey is ongoing, starting with the upper roof, where sections have been opened for structural assessment.

The next stage will be to move to the ground floor roof which will require temporary restricted access near the airport's arrivals entrance to ensure public safety.

The full survey is expected to take about two weeks.

'Important milestone'

Richard Thomasson, Guernsey Ports airport director, said while the scaffolding wasn't "the ideal welcome for visitors", it would remain in place until the airport found "a long-term solution".

He added: "The survey is an important milestone as it will provide the clear answers needed to decide the next steps and the likely costs.

"We need to understand these before we can address how this work can be funded and it will need to be prioritised alongside other critical infrastructure maintenance across Guernsey Ports."

Deputy Mark Helyar, president of the States' Trading Supervisory Board, which overseas the Guernsey Ports, said he hoped the roof would be fixed quickly but the scaffolding must remain until an inspection, repair and safety sign-off were complete.

He added that ongoing budget shortfalls and a backlog of unfunded port maintenance meant there was still no clear timeline for when the work would be finished.