Petition to improve Gatwick Arrivals for Channel Islands

Wednesday 31 January 2018

A Guernsey based businessman has started a petition to try and get Gatwick to improve its domestic arrivals system.

The petition has attracted hundreds of signatures within days, but its creator is aiming for at least one thousand names on it.

Nick Saul from BachmannHR said he decided to start the petition after travelling through the airport before Christmas last year:

"We got to Gatwick on the Embraer, got down the steps and the buses wern't there, so we were kept out waiting in the pouring rain and freezing cold. 

"It made me think, its the 21st Century and this is the way we arrive at Gatwick - our major travel hub. Even when the buses are there we are still packed in like sardines and enter the airport through what was, or still is, a fire escape.

"At the end of the day the airport takes as much money from Aurigny's passengers as they do from Easyjet's passengers flying in from Spain and get off via an air bridge, so you have to wonder where that money from us goes".

The changes to the way domestic passengers arrived in Gatwick came in three years ago because of new requirements from the UK Border Agency, but the temporary solution at the time is still in place.

Commenting on the petition, Malcolm Coupar, Commercial Director at Aurigny said: "I can confirm that Aurigny has been in many discussions with Gatwick regarding improving the CTA arrivals (this includes domestic, Channel Islands and Eire) facilities.

"In conjunction with British Airways, Easyjet, Flybe and Ryanair, who all have CTA flight arrivals processed in the same way, we have been campaigning through the Gatwick Air Operators Committee. Gatwick Airport does have plans for improving the facilities, I would expect these to be announced when the timelines are finalised. 

"I think I can state that none of the affected airlines are satisfied with the current facilities".

The Change.org petition can be found here.