The States of Alderney have met with senior representatives from Aurigny and the CEO of Skybus to discuss ongoing challenges with the island’s air services and potential improvements ahead of the summer season.
The meeting followed a public protest at Alderney Airport and covered operational and strategic issues affecting connectivity, including service reliability, aircraft availability, crew provision, scheduling, and delivery of commitments under the Aurigny–Skybus agreement.
Concerns raised by the Alderney community in recent weeks formed a central part of the discussion, alongside performance across both commercial and Medivac services.
Aurigny and Skybus said that access to the island’s longer grass runway could improve operational reliability, particularly in crosswind conditions. However, the runway is not currently certified for commercial use, and substantial work would be required to bring it into operation. Restoration of the grass runway is not included in the current asphalt runway rehabilitation project, although all parties agreed that identifying a workable solution would be beneficial.
The availability of aviation fuel at Alderney Airport was also highlighted as a key issue. Reinstating fuel provision was described as essential to support increased payload capacity and enable more efficient services, particularly on routes to Southampton.
Improving communication between Aurigny and the States of Alderney was also discussed, with agreement reached on a more structured approach to ensure timely information is shared with the community.
The meeting also addressed the working relationship between Aurigny and Skybus, which both organisations described as constructive, despite some initial challenges following operational changes introduced in November 2025.
During a visit to the island, Aurigny’s Chief Executive Officer, Nico Bezuidenhout, acknowledged disruption to services since the transition began and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the community.
Aurigny said that, while controllable disruptions have reduced since the introduction of the Twin Otter aircraft, weather-related cancellations have increased, accounting for more than 80% of delays in the first two months of the year, with 137 flights cancelled due to weather conditions. Some cancellations have also occurred for operational and technical reasons.
Chair of the Policy and Finance Committee, Jeannie Cameron, said: “Yesterday’s meeting was positive and constructive. It provided a valuable opportunity for all parties to discuss the issues in detail and I believe we all learned a great deal from the conversation.
“I would also like to thank Nico for taking the time to come to Alderney on Sunday to speak directly with members of the public and hear their genuine concerns. That engagement was appreciated.”
Kevin George, Chairman at Aurigny, stated: “Both the Board and Management at Aurigny take the concerns raised by the local population and political representatives in Alderney extremely seriously. While our controllable performance has clearly been better since the introduction of the Twin Otter compared to the same period last year, we are determined that future performance will build further on these foundations.
“Our aim is for all stakeholders to share our confidence in the future and that is why we are taking immediate measures together with Skybus to strengthen operational robustness and ensure operational performance to the highest standards well into the future.”
