The Guernsey branch of the Institute of Directors (IoD) hosted a highly anticipated breakfast event on Friday morning that explored the future of air connections to and from the island. The event, titled ‘Connected Guernsey: The Future of Airlines,’ attracted a full house and was sponsored by Skipton International.
The breakfast was a follow up to the IoD’s June Economic Confidence Survey, where two-thirds of respondents voiced concerns about the negative impact of current air and sea links on local businesses. The event aimed to provide insight into how Guernsey’s air connectivity could be improved, to ensure the island has the reliable, efficient, and sustainable travel links it needs to thrive economically.
The event featured a panel discussion with Nico Bezuidenhout, CEO of Aurigny, Louise Congdon, Managing Partner of York Aviation LLP and Deputy Peter Roffey, President of the States Trading and Supervisory Board (STSB).
Ms Congdon delivered an in-depth analysis of Guernsey’s air connectivity performance in comparison to similar jurisdictions and emphasised that, despite common and valid concerns, Guernsey has been performing relatively well in recovering post-pandemic, operating only slightly below pre-COVID levels. She noted that this performance is stronger than many similar-sized airports, including those in Jersey and the Isle of Man, but highlighted the need for continued focus on ensuring reliable and efficient air links to support the island’s economy.
Some of the key discussion points from the panel included:
- Reliability and resilience: Deputy Roffey acknowledged the community’s recent concerns about flight delays and cancellations, noting that addressing reliability is a top priority. He shared that steps are being taken to improve these issues and restore confidence in the island’s air links.
- Connectivity beyond the UK: Mr Bezuidenhout highlighted that while Guernsey’s core routes to the UK remain the top priority, non-UK routes, including Paris and Dublin, have shown strong demand, with Paris in particular supporting the island’s growing tourism sector.
- Affordability and competition: Both Mr Bezuidenhout and Ms Congdon discussed the challenges of balancing affordable fares with the operational costs of small-scale air services. Mr Bezuidenhout explained that Guernsey's relatively small population means air travel costs are higher than on the mainland but emphasised the role of competition and innovation in potentially reducing these costs over time.
Ms Congdon concluded that while Guernsey’s air connectivity is currently ‘punching above its weight,’ the challenge moving forward will be ensuring sustainable growth, particularly given the size of the market and the island’s economic structure.
Glen Tonks, Chair of the IoD Guernsey branch, commented, ‘The IoD remains committed to leading vital discussions about the future of the island's infrastructure. With the Social Capital report set to be released next week, and the second Economic Confidence Survey coming in November, we will use these insights to engage with key stakeholders and help shape the important conversations ahead.’