Originally Posted by
toscana24
I have a house on Alderney and fly there regularly from Southampton on Aurigny. In summer the flights are invariably full but in winter on each of my last 4 flights there have only been between 5 and 8 pax - i.e. an Islander sized load. Bad weather is also a real issue for any flights into or out of ACI.
A link between ACI and JER might work (as the latter has some good international links, not least the Condor boat to France). Yes the frequency could be an issue. A link to UK (Lee on Solent was the plan) might also work if the details could ever be sorted out. A piston engine (ex Skybus?) islander between ACI/JER or GCI for a 10/15 min hop is surely workable but the same to Lee from ACI might be too slow (cf the original turbine Islander idea).
The Aurigny operation is so tainted (in the minds of the Alderney people) that many doubt that they can continue long term. Yet their Dorniers are a vast improvement over the Trislanders (Islanders) and their pilots are as professional as ever. And if people have a choice between 30 mins in a Dornier to SOU v 45 mins in a far noisier Islander / Trislander the answer will be inevitable.
Yes everyone is sceptical that Air Alderney will get off the ground but if they can make ACI/JER work then other scenarios might open up. The current lack of flights is crippling the island's tourism.
Yes, but it is a huge ask. I don't think that you can seriously operate an airline with only one route carrying what , 25 pax per day (considerably less in winter)? The Alderney people are peed off with AUR, but they are not going to get anything better, or cheaper. Certainly not with Air Alderney. To make the thing even remotely viable, they need more routes, better a/c, & a monopoly.