IoD July breakfast to debate future of Guernsey’s air links

The IoD’s July breakfast, sponsored by Butterfield, will discuss Guernsey’s strategy for air connectivity and the importance of sustainable air links in a post-covid economy.

The event will feature a panel of local experts who will discuss a successful strategy to reach the following goals:

• A service that can be considered top-class for reliability
• Air connectivity that supports Guernsey’s finance sector, professional services, tourism and overall economy
• Fares that are competitive with rival jurisdictions
• A service quality experience which enhances the appeal of Guernsey’s brand

Attendees will hear from a panel of local industry leaders, including Deputy Mark Helyar, Treasury lead for the Policy & Resources Committee at the States of Guernsey, Nico Bezuidenhout, Chief Executive Officer at Aurigny, Paul Hodgson, Chair of GIBA and Jerry Girard, a former pilot and independent aviation expert.

The panel moderator will be Wendy Dorey (pictured), Chair of the IoD Guernsey branch.

In anticipation of the event, Wendy said: “Businesses’ needs and wants have dramatically changed in the past couple of years, from a professional and personal perspective. Guernsey’s leaders need to consider the requirements of the finance, professional, tourism and hospitality sectors, where those differ and where they may overlap and also how they intersect with islanders’ personal travel preferences.

“We will gather together representatives from Guernsey’s finance and airline industries, an independent aviation expert and a senior government official to explore the needs and the possibilities for the island’s air links. I look forward to a constructive debate on how we can work collaboratively to benefit Guernsey’s future.”

Discussion points for the panel will include which London airports need to be in our network of destinations, what are the pros and cons of a longer runway and how we can balance the different, and sometimes opposing, needs and wants of the many stakeholders.

The IoD committee respectfully requests that all attendees take an LFT before attending. A certificate for IoD members will be issued after the event.