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Aurigny and Guernsey Airport have worked together on plans to enable the popular Exeter service to resume next summer.
Aurigny has confirmed today that the service will be back - after the airport agreed to tweak its schedules to allow flights to land slightly later when necessary.
Aurigny says the route has been "particularly popular with students as well as those seeking medical treatment, and the decision has been eagerly awaited by the Guernsey community".
The airline also believes the Exeter routes boosts the local hospitality industry as it allows around 1.5million people living in Devon and Cornwall easy access to Guernsey if they wish to visit.
Aurigny’s Chief Executive Officer, Nico Bezuidenhout said the 2025 schedule will include three flights per week for the full summer season, operating on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays.
He said that will enable "strong weekend and week-long travel options".
Pictured: Aurigny will resume its Exeter service next summer.
Last year’s Thursday and Saturday flights have been replaced with Friday services, a decision the airline's CEO said enhances weekend schedules whilst reducing the aircraft and crewing requirement on the wider programme.
“We are very pleased to have made constructive steps forward with Guernsey Ports which has enabled us to resume our popular Exeter route," Mr Bezuidenhout said.
"By working together, we’ve been able to optimise the schedule, delivering one which is operationally robust and convenient for islanders and visitors alike.
“We look forward to working more closely with Guernsey Ports in the months and years ahead to further improve strong air links for our communities.”
Guernsey Ports’ Managing Director, Ross Coppolo agreed that the agreement has been constructive.
“We have been working closely with Aurigny to better understand how we can support their operations on the Exeter route next summer," he said.
"This includes adjusting the timings of planned aerodrome maintenance, which takes place outside of our published aerodrome operating hours, in order to support planned, airline schedules.
“This will provide aircraft with a larger window in which to return to Guernsey at the end of the operating day, so that they are in position to resume scheduled operations the following morning.
“Guernsey Ports continues to work with its airlines on their schedules to help ensure the best possible passenger experience for everyone travelling through our airports.”
Pictured: An Exeter flight was turned back at the very last moment earlier this year.
The talks between Guernsey Airport and Aurigny will undoubtedly have included references to an incident in August this year when a flight was sent back to Exeter because it landed just moments too late to land in Guernsey.
A review was instigated at the time, after Air Traffic Control told the Aurigny flight it had to return to Exter, because it would miss the airport's opening hours by just 90 seconds.
The plane was approaching to land at the time, just 800ft above the ground.
It left passengers, having already had to wait hours for their delayed flight, frustrated and led to further cancellations of Aurigny’s services, which at the time were already beset with problems.
It was said by all parties to be the only incident of its kind in more than 20 years at the airport, with Aurigny and Guernsey Ports pledging to work together to understand what had happened and to prevent it happening again.
Pictured top: Exeter airport.
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