I must have missed something here - I don't believe that merely owning an airline will secure slots, they must be flown or will eventually disappear. We've seen operators flying GA aircraft to protect slots for 747s in quiet periods in the past.
I'm sorry to see this airline apparently not doing so well, I've enjoyed the odd inter-island flight with them and they've been regular night-time visitors with us over the years. I thought the ATR operation would have gone well enough. Government at all levels has a terrible track record of involvement in aviation.
Is it too simplistic to say that if not enough people are prepared to pay what it costs to fly from Guernsey to Gatwick, that there's no rational reason to keep the service going? Can anyone furnish a justification for subsidy on this route?
Cheers,
The Odd One