Aurigny Air Services
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G-SAYE
What is involved before they can register an aircraft on the AOC? Do they have to have a sufficient number of pilots available with sufficient hours on type? Maybe getting the requisite hours on a limited number of short hops takes time. I agree though, it does seem odd that the a/c isn't in revenue earning service.
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Do228 Plan?
What's the story with the ongoing Dornier saga? Still not on the AOC and still only one of them operating. After the comments from St P in the press recently, are GR even going to bother putting it on their AOC if a possible PSO is on the cards?
Leeds - GCI route
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Could be going to DAO at Roskilde as stated for maintenance. It may also be going for mods to be done. These could be required to place the aircraft on the UK register. Also this could be part of the process for the type to be put on the AOC. There would have been a considerable amount of flight training going on to bring sufficient aircrew up to the required standard to fly with out training going on. You have to think of training as starting at the apex of a triangle. You start with Training Captains, then Captains then Firstofficers. All being done on the Portuguese register under there TRTO.
Xtype
Xtype
This ties in with the BN3s carrying out the Southampton & Dinard flights today.
I was told by AUR pilots, was it 3 years ago, that AUR had to replace the BN3 within the next 6, or so, months because of CAA requirements. How come that, having obtained the Dorniers, the BN3s are still soldiering on ?
I was told by AUR pilots, was it 3 years ago, that AUR had to replace the BN3 within the next 6, or so, months because of CAA requirements. How come that, having obtained the Dorniers, the BN3s are still soldiering on ?
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Managed to get the UK CAA to go to bat with EASA and they moved the goalposts as the tris don't meet the requirements. No idea how. But been operating the dorniers for over a year now and still not on their AOC which seems bizarre.
More tech issues for the aging Tri fleet.
Does anyone in Aurigny management actually care about these problems or are they just happy just sitting back & taking the taxpayers monthly cheque?
Alderney flights cancelled as all three trislanders out of action | Channel - ITV News
Does anyone in Aurigny management actually care about these problems or are they just happy just sitting back & taking the taxpayers monthly cheque?
Alderney flights cancelled as all three trislanders out of action | Channel - ITV News
This is a major "cock up"; & responsibility lies squarely with the airline. They decided on replacing the BN3 with the Dornier 228 many months ago, & yet they appear to have none available. Why ?
And what is stopping them chartering an a/c to provide what is an essential service ?
A very, very, very poor show. Totally unacceptable. Heads MUST roll !
And what is stopping them chartering an a/c to provide what is an essential service ?
A very, very, very poor show. Totally unacceptable. Heads MUST roll !
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Regretfully, our friends from within Aurigny have been silenced, so we will not be getting a balanced and pro-Aurigny viewpoint. Shame on you AUR management.
So we have another day of disrupted flights to/from Alderney. The island cannot take much more. What with no Dorniers, three broken Trislanders, and a crumbling narrowed runway, the death of Alderney is imminent. Time to seek damages I think. Aurigny and Treasury & Resources watch out - ah hold on, they are the same !
Sorry if this post is negative, but enough is enough. I, and most of Alderney (apart from three crazy people who wanted to keep Trislanders), have been loyal pro-Aurigny supporters for many many years, however all this support has been lost with the fiasco of the last 18 months. I'm now hearing daily calls from those loyal folks for heads to roll. There is no loyalty left.
Let's see if we can get some answers.....
a) how long is CS-TGG going to be having mods' in Denmark ?
b) what's wrong with the Tris' ? Dropped one off jacks ? Any pitot heads left ?
c) why can't G-SAYE be flown commercially ? Why has it been downgraded to a -200 with a lower MTOW ?
d) when will AUR have the Dornier on its AOC ?
e) why no attempt yesterday or today to charter in ?
So we have another day of disrupted flights to/from Alderney. The island cannot take much more. What with no Dorniers, three broken Trislanders, and a crumbling narrowed runway, the death of Alderney is imminent. Time to seek damages I think. Aurigny and Treasury & Resources watch out - ah hold on, they are the same !
Sorry if this post is negative, but enough is enough. I, and most of Alderney (apart from three crazy people who wanted to keep Trislanders), have been loyal pro-Aurigny supporters for many many years, however all this support has been lost with the fiasco of the last 18 months. I'm now hearing daily calls from those loyal folks for heads to roll. There is no loyalty left.
Let's see if we can get some answers.....
a) how long is CS-TGG going to be having mods' in Denmark ?
b) what's wrong with the Tris' ? Dropped one off jacks ? Any pitot heads left ?
c) why can't G-SAYE be flown commercially ? Why has it been downgraded to a -200 with a lower MTOW ?
d) when will AUR have the Dornier on its AOC ?
e) why no attempt yesterday or today to charter in ?
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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:
And the earlier press release:
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
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
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.
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.
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GSAYE in service ?
FR 24 currently (1740) shows GSAYE flying from SOU towards ACI.......this would coincide with GR564, so maybe things are beginning to resolve themselves. Here's hoping.
Pete
Pete
Aurigny results published - the BBC Guernsey article:
Aurigny airline made a loss of £3.5m in 2014, its fully published financial accounts have shown.
The company has been loss-making for all but two years since it was bought by the States of Guernsey in 2003.
Expected debts of £25m by 2018 are due to be written off by the government.
Mark Darby, CEO of Aurigny, said "our trading position improved considerably in 2014", with operating losses down from £2.3m in 2013 to just over £777,000.
Mr Darby said that Flybe's withdrawal from the Gatwick route and Aurigny's acquisition of an Embraer 195 jet contributed to a 17% increase in passenger volumes and a 29% increase in turnover.
He said the company also benefited from lower oil prices in the second half of 2014.
The Treasury and Resources Minister, Deputy Gavin St Pier, said: "The Department, acting as shareholder on behalf of the States as a whole, has previously committed to reviewing with Aurigny whether its accounts could be published in full and is pleased that Aurigny is now releasing the Group's accounts for 2014."
He said that operating losses had been offset by the cost of the new jet and the new route to London City airport launched last year.
A recent review by a Scrutiny Committee panel into the security of the strategic air links of Guernsey found that the States were failing to manage the airline.
Could someone familiar with Aurigny explain the ins and outs of these figures. The fiasco over the Dorniers must be costing thousands per week at present - bring back the Luftwaffe - they didn't seem to have a problem getting Dorniers flying in the Channel Islands
Aurigny airline made a loss of £3.5m in 2014, its fully published financial accounts have shown.
The company has been loss-making for all but two years since it was bought by the States of Guernsey in 2003.
Expected debts of £25m by 2018 are due to be written off by the government.
Mark Darby, CEO of Aurigny, said "our trading position improved considerably in 2014", with operating losses down from £2.3m in 2013 to just over £777,000.
Mr Darby said that Flybe's withdrawal from the Gatwick route and Aurigny's acquisition of an Embraer 195 jet contributed to a 17% increase in passenger volumes and a 29% increase in turnover.
He said the company also benefited from lower oil prices in the second half of 2014.
The Treasury and Resources Minister, Deputy Gavin St Pier, said: "The Department, acting as shareholder on behalf of the States as a whole, has previously committed to reviewing with Aurigny whether its accounts could be published in full and is pleased that Aurigny is now releasing the Group's accounts for 2014."
He said that operating losses had been offset by the cost of the new jet and the new route to London City airport launched last year.
A recent review by a Scrutiny Committee panel into the security of the strategic air links of Guernsey found that the States were failing to manage the airline.
Could someone familiar with Aurigny explain the ins and outs of these figures. The fiasco over the Dorniers must be costing thousands per week at present - bring back the Luftwaffe - they didn't seem to have a problem getting Dorniers flying in the Channel Islands
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Be interesting to know how much of that loss is attributable to the London City operation which is operating well under half-full, if that. Plus it simply bleeds passengers away from Gatwick.I understand that this route was started - and an expensive aircraft acquired to operate it - simply because Blue Islands was known to be about to extend its City service to Guernsey. Dog in the manger has its price!
Mark Darby was noted in the local media a few weeks back stating that the 228NG would be delivered 'next week' this would have been last week & still no sign of it. I've checked GINFO to see if G-OAUR has been registered & unsurprisingly there's no sign of it! At least GR have arranged for two Pa31's to op the ACI service in the event of more Trislander tech issues.
It's time for a management change at GR I feel as no one there currently seems able to sort anything
It's time for a management change at GR I feel as no one there currently seems able to sort anything