Channel Connect Airways
 

Are apparently backed by the American Global Group and will operate 6 ATR, 2 BAe 146's and 2 EMB145, to European destinations as well as a few select UK routes.

This Operation has nothing to do with Blue Islands or Aurigny.

Details are available through Aviation world.

Seems far fetched...........but hey anything can happen !!

Watching from afar, I wondered what Coates's exit strategy would be, I think he's just revealed it.

I don't think a merger would be Coates exit route, as any merger would have to involve Blue Islands purchasing Aurigny not the other way round. Surely the States are not stupid enough to buy another airline. hmmmm :}

New Chanel islands Airline????
 

Does anyone have any further or concrete news regarding this new company? strange in this climate to jump into a market with 3 carriers already fighting it out on the islands. Also are Blue Islands looking to switch to an ATR fleet replacing the Jetstreams etc. :ok:

Anybody know who the American Global Group are?

Amercian Global seem to be a freight shipping company

Question to skiptoit
 

When you say it looks worse from the inside than from the outside, are you talking about the company or the 'new' (very old) ATR42?

The "new" ATR42 is only 23 years old, quite young compared to the average Trislander!

Well yes, but they have all been re-winged and have done less hours! (Just a few more sectors)

A quick look at the "Teen Fakes Airline" thread in the Jet Blast forum should draw a very conclusive line under this "Channel Connect Airways" nonsense!

Blue ATR
 

G-DRFC has now been painted up in Blue Islands colours - looks pretty good for its age!!

G-DRFC ATR-42 arriving at Guernsey for the first time in Blue Islands colours on the 19th July, 2009 - the first ATR42 and the largest Blue Islands aircraft to date. :: G-DRFC ATR42 Blue Islands.jpg

Looking good !! :D First of many I hope :)

Do we know what routes the ATR is going to be operating?

Guernsey-Jersey initially & I expect eventually it will appear on the Southampton route too. London City is on the (distant) horizon so it (or a second machine) will no doubt appear there. Winter ski flights to Geneva are also planned for Foxtrot Charlie. Let's hope the machine is reliable as I don't know what Blue will do for back up if it goes mega tech.

Hmmm, it's similarly aged sistership G-IONA is about to be scrapped, so if this is an indication :{

hmm a 23 year old ATR42 flying many short sectors a day, not so good for the pressure cycle count meethinks.
Also is G-IONA really about to be scrapped?? That was the younger of the two!

That's at least what Jethros is reporting. According to his website, G-IONA ferried CVT-EDI in early June and is to be broken up.

As for it being younger than G-DRFC, it can only be a matter of months, with IONA being c/n 17 and DRFC c/n 7. Some of the oldest ATR42s still around.

On whose AOC is G-DRFC being operated? Apparently Atlantic Express surrendered its AOC earlier in the year.

It will be on the Blue AOC I believe, hence the need for a proving flight with the CAA on board. This will take place in about 10 days time, Guernsey - Lon City.

The LCY bit is interesting, I must say. Although if Blue Islands should really have plans for LCY in store, I wonder why they do not use the smaller Dornier 328. Not sure if GCI can fill an ATR42 if JER has difficulties filling a daily Fokker 50. But maybe the destination for the proving flight does not me anything anyway :eek:

By the way, does the ATR42 need some modifications for LCY ops? Or am I correct in remembering that said aircraft also operated for bmi on LBA-LCY and tuhs should be LCY capable anyway?:confused:

Its called the steep aproach mod to allow for the greater slope. Yes it would have been modifyed as where all the Air Wales fleet. However a one off flight to LCY seams strange as there is considerable training required before ops into LCY especially for a new operator.