The Institute of Directors winter seminar series, sponsored by JT, will conclude on Friday 13 April by revisiting the important topic of Guernsey’s air links.
The subject was last discussed by the IoD in 2016, not long after the regulator had raised concerns about the Blue Islands / Flybe franchise agreement on inter-island routes and Aurigny’s Alderney services had been criticised following the airline posting a £4.6m loss.
The cost, frequency and reliability of air links remains as relevant now as it did then. New services have been launched while others, including an inter-island seaplane link, have been proposed. But is Guernsey in a better place, two years down the line? Given the continued focus on air connectivity, from both a social and business perspective, JT and the IoD are pleased to welcome another strong panel to discuss this important issue.
Panellists are Economic Development President Charles Parkinson; Lyndon Trott, Vice President of Policy & Resources; Andrew Haining, Chairman of Aurigny; and Tom Barrasin, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Islands.
The panel will review and discuss the political vision for the future of Guernsey’s air links, the means by which the resulting strategy will be implemented and funded, the implications for both Aurigny and private operators such as Blue Islands, and the potential implications for the airport infrastructure. The seminar will be held at 12.30 pm in the Dorey Room at St James.
James Ede-Golightly, IoD Committee member and series organiser, said: “Air links will always be critical to the economic success of an island community, so we felt it was important to revisit this topic. With such a knowledgeable panel and a business audience who will naturally want affordable, regular and reliable transport links, I expect that that any debate will be informed, rational and lucid, and perhaps a little lively.”
Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director of JT Guernsey said: “With over 600 people working across the Channel Islands, Europe, the US and Australia, JT is all too aware of the importance of robust air links. Equally, we’re conscious that the airline industry is a challenging one, so it will be both interesting and useful to put all the issues on the table. We’re pleased to continue to support the IoD in providing these topical and well attended lunchtime events for its membership.”
