Firstly just to say I'm not an Aurigny employee and am all for 175s on the GCI-LGW route but feel that a fair comparison is needed; perhaps we ought to set the record straight on a few matters?
The dash is quieter
Not true; both the ATR and the Q400 have an average cabin noise rating of 77-79dB. Some sources quote the latter as two decibels lower; this is not a perceivable difference to the human ear and you're splitting hairs here about an issue which even the most discriminating customer would not even notice.
The Q400's economical cruise speed is indeed higher in theory, but have a look at what actually happens: BE909 left LGW at 11:59 today and arrived GCI at 12:49 - a 50min flight. GR603 left LGW at 15:58 and arrived at 16:42 - a 44min flight. Obviously some Q400 flights are faster, but the splitting hairs factor applies as above.
it wont be too long before the Gatwick slots are so expensive Aurigny will either become too pricey or will leave Gatwick
Aurigny and Flybe use aircraft in the same category as dictated by LGW charges/fees (<150 seats). So fee rises will affect both carriers equally? Given that it serves a community and is owned by a government which purchased it to protect that very route, Aurigny is in fact less likely to drop it. Flybe has significantly reduced its presence at LGW recently with a number of routes disappearing. It cannot simply absorb fee rises at Gatwick just because its operation there is larger; fares would go up and the same would apply.
People are all talk about i like to support the local Airline
If you are wondering why, have a look at the GCI-MAN route. Aurigny has operated a twice daily year-round service for some years; Flybe then applied to compete. It was awarded a license to operate similar year-round services but dropped them in winter, operating the route seasonally and cancelling flights out of the blue between January and March 2008. Cherry-picking is not good for customers and it is not good for Aurigny - the former ended up using the latter because Flybe's service could not be relied upon. Yes, it isn't a charity but if it isn't dependable then don't expect islanders to use it.
Sorry for what is a lengthy post but while I do believe in competition and private enterprise and am not a supporter of the Aurignyflot concept, I don't like to see issues portrayed in an unfair and slanted fashion. If Flybe puts jets on GCI-LGW then it will do very well and it certainly deserves to.