Yes. If Guernsey was marooned I'm not sure the States would put up with it for long. Today's statements, reproduced below, go some way to explain the situation; but do not suggest that Aurigny comprehends its seriousness.
Mark Darby's reply to the Alderney Chamber of Commerce's complaint:
Dear Andrew,
I attach a further copy of our press release that we issued earlier today which I think answers most of your questions. One aircraft was back in service by just after 1100 and so we should complete today’s flying programme. Another aircraft will be in service tomorrow. But to be clear, it’s only a matter of time before one or other (or both) of the aircraft are grounded for the lack of the spare. We have been applying as much pressure as we can to B-N (as have UK police forces who also have had aircraft grounded for some time) – so far with little success. We have no option but to deal with B-N on this matter as either they have to produce spares in sufficient quantities or provide a modification that will permit us to use an alternative part.
You seem to think that we’ve been sitting and waiting for this to happen before acting. The truth is quite the opposite. I have been in regular contact with other possible suppliers including the Let 410 operator, Scilly Isles Skybus and Loganair. At this time no one has aircraft available.
The continued operation of the Trislander is critical to the Dornier transition plan and we need them to continue operating until January to complete the pilot training. We will keep trying other operators as well as keeping up the pressure on B-N (but it appears that we’ll have to wait for at least 3 weeks before they can provide a solution to the Pitot problem).
If the CAA cooperate, we could have the first Dornier in service on our AOC on Wednesday (maybe Thursday) this week, which will relieve the pressure on the Trislanders.
I agree it’s not a good position to be in, but this has been entirely outside of our control and we have taken all reasonable steps to counteract the problem. We will do our best to keep disruption to a minimum and are truly sorry that services might be affected.
Best Regards
Mark Darby
And the earlier press release:
Failure to supply spare parts jeopardises Aurigny’s air links to Alderney
For immediate release
9 November 2015
Aurigny is apologising to passengers who may be delayed today because of unavoidable technical issues affecting its Trislander fleet. One aircraft is being repaired in Alderney after it failed to start this morning and it should be serviceable by lunchtime. Another is undergoing a planned maintenance check in Guernsey which should be complete this evening. More seriously, the third is grounded indefinitely, because a part (the Pitot Head) has failed, and spares are unavailable.
Aurigny has been trying for some time, without success, to press aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman to sanction the production of “Pitot Heads,” which are a critical part of the Trislander’s air speed measuring system. Aurigny has asked Britten-Norman to authorise the previous manufacturer of this device, Taunton Aerospace, to begin limited production. To date this has not happened and Aurigny is now in a position where it has used up its last remaining spare Pitot Head. The matter has been made worse by a recently issued Airworthiness Directive from the European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, which has significantly decreased the time required between safety critical inspections of this part.
Aurigny CEO Mark Darby says: “Yesterday, one of the Trislander’s Pitot Heads cracked, which is a frustratingly common occurrence as they are subject to wear and tear caused by expansion and contraction. This leaves us with two remaining aircraft to serve the Alderney routes and provide vital 24 hour Medivac cover. Britten-Norman has failed to support us, and other operators, despite being given ample warning of the need for this spare. It means our ability to fly the Alderney routes (and provide emergency medical assistance) is being compromised. It’s only a matter of time before the remaining Pitot Heads fail and we’ll be unable to fly our other two Trislanders.”
Mark Darby continues: “Over recent weeks I have contacted politicians and civil servants in Alderney to warn them of the impending problem. We have also been pursuing a charter option with a number of European operators, but none of the aircraft able to use Alderney’s runways (the Let 410 and de Havilland Twin Otter) are currently available. This issue is not only affecting Aurigny and I understand that several Britten-Norman Islander and Defender aircraft, used by the military and UK police forces, have been grounded due to the lack of this spare.”
With regard to the Dorniers, Aurigny has completed all the formalities necessary to put the aircraft “type” on its Air Operator Certificate and expects CAA approval this week. Once received, we will have one aircraft available for immediate use, and a second once it returns from scheduled maintenance and is put on the UK register. The new Dornier 228NG is due to be delivered next week, which is well ahead of schedule. But, our pilots and engineers will require additional training to familiarise themselves with this variant.
Ends.