Didn't DC say that they would keep the best of the Trislander fleet to service Alderney? So why does everyone think he'll turn his back on the rock?

He also said that there was no realistic alternative to the Tris which are coming to the end of their lives. Agreed the Twotter, Do 228, Skylander, et al could operate into ACI, but how much is adding one of those types going to cost? Best guess, say £3-£4m? For an island of 2000 people. That's a lot of SOU trips.

BBC Piece here:

BBC News - 'Blue Aurigny' guarantees UK 'lifeline' flights

"Didn't DC say that they would keep the best of the Trislander fleet to service Alderney? So why does everyone think he'll turn his back on the rock?"

No one thinks he will stop all flights into Alderney, the common belief is that he will stop the Southampton - Alderney route.

In the BBC quotes as linked above he acknowledges that dropping the SOU-ACI run will kill the island, but he does not say it wont happen. Even if he did, many would not believe him.

Trislanders
 

No, Coates did not say he would keep the cream of the Trislanders on Alderney routes (by that he means Aurigny's Trislanders - his are, shall we say, somewhat passed it). He has said numerous times he wants the Tris out by 2012, yet he has not specified a replacement.

The closest he got to that was complaining about the $4m Twin Otters. This is justifiable - but he is talking new build Viking Air 400 variants. I know of some perfectly good mid to late '80s Twin Otters that do the same job (albeit with older equipment - but the flights still happen) for way under half the price.

The reason he may pull out of Alderney (or at least ACI - SOU) is that he has not specified a replacement, indeed saying there is no obvious replacement. That's not true. Looking at his timetables over the years, ACI flights have declined and declined further. BI hasn't even scheduled any extra Alderney Week flights this year. Aurigny say THANKS VERY MUCH and bag the pax. When Aurigny's gone, the pax will have nowhere to go at this rate. Get my meaning :sad:

"... nowhere to go..."

Oh but they will very much have somewhere to go, they will be told all about how wonderful Guernsey is at this time of year. Such a shame that the customer will miss the festival in Alderney, did we mention the events list for St Peter Port?

It happens now, no reason to believe it will happen less once all the air links to the island are controlled by one company.

Aero Mad, my point was that the Tris are finished. Single crew CAT, with or without AP's, will be binned within the next 2-3 years. So, that leaves you with what to get as a replacement, as stated above. And the cost implications of this. For an island of 2000 people. Get my point? All very well slating the state of BI's a/c and that you find him untrustworthy, etc, but missing the main point of my question. I'm not for or against this buyout, I can see pro's and con's of both sides.
Oh, and if they still plan to fly to ACI from GCI after the deal is done, it would be madness not to continue onto SOU don't you think? From what I understand, that SOU route is about the only profitable one GR have. Makes them a great deal of money.

Mind you the Alderney - Bournemouth route was reputed to be making BI money - they ran it for over a decade. Look what happened to that.

It's much talked about, but what's your source? Have the CAA actually said this?

Alderney
 

The Trislander is not the only A/c that is able to use Alderney in the public transport mode, the D228, twin otter and let410 are all able to carry maxloads. MANX2.COM flew there d228 into Alderney in 2009 in high crosswinds and landed with no problems. The Deficit in Alderney is made up from ATC/AFS saleries, which are essential sevices and add upto £550000, when you take into consideration that Alderney makes approx £250000 in income for GUERNSEY the Airport is quite healthy. The reason for this is that Guernsey have made an error in there budget for there Airport they won't spend anything in Alderney.Which includes JetA1 fuel, and so the Trislander is still in use. but for howlong we do not know, with them not conforming to modern requirements.

Hahahaha couldn't agree more atcalcatraz, have heard IoM pilots complaining about
. Try telling Coates that :ugh:

Did you go, Malthouse? Sadly, I'm only on-island from 28th onwards :{ so missed the meeting. Any comments on Trislander replacement? He could use this as an excuse to pull out, as I've said previously.

I could not make it due to work commitments, but I am sure there will be a few pages on it in Friday's Journal.

Let me know if you would like to meet up for a beer when you are OI. :ok:

With respect, if you think Flybe would maintain ACI services then I fear you are living in cloud cuckoo land. Maybe if theACI routes were to be given PSO ststus (like some of the Scottish routes) then a limited service would be kept but I can't see the States of Guernsey subsidising ACI flights and the UK government is under no obligation whatsoever to provide a subsidy. Manx2 won't come near ACI in spite of that silly proving flight with the 228 last summer - Noel Hayes has even moved away from ACI. Blue Islands is the best option for future ACI flying if only because they own a sixty-bed hotel which needs good UK connections.

GAMPY - it doesn't matter who flies in the residents for Coates ACI hotel, I believe the majority fly in with Aurigny at the moment & not Blue Islands. If the sale goes ahead will hotel guests still be offered "free" flights to ACI or will this vanish & with it the meagre traffic that Blue carry to the northern isle? This would result in a further drop in BI ACI traffice then would be a good reason for Coates to pull the plug. As for saying that Manx2's Do.228 flight was silly, why? I suspect sour grapes that he proved that there are other a/c types that can get into ACI apart from the Trislander...

ACI residents be afraid of Blue Islands, be very afraid.

Jerbourg, as the past 8 years of unbridled support (:=) of Le Cocqs/Rockhopper/BI from the Rock's residents has shown, who should be afraid of who?

Just watching the video of the talk, I confess to being a little wooed.

Alderney.TV

My book is now on the shelves in various newsagents e.t.c. around the island as well as the airport and museum :ok:

Congratulations!

My other half saw you up there yesterday. :ok:

Ref the day return between Exeter and Alderney - it was a for a funeral.