Tenders open for Alderney lifeline flight contracts

Friday 12 October 2018

Alderney could get a new air operator to run two of its lifeline links in the future, as two public service contracts go out to tender.

Economic Development launched the ITT (invitation to tender) yesterday, and it covers two distinct contracts: one for the Alderney to Guernsey route and one of the Alderney to Southampton route.

Both Public Service Orders will be for a several times daily, year round passenger and freight services. In addition, the Guernsey PSO will also require the provision of charter flights for patients requiring emergency medical evacuation to Guernsey (medevacs).  

Pictured: Aurigny's Dornier's cover its multiple weekly flights to Alderney. 

Previously, Aurigny has covered these contracts, but it was recently decided the routes should be put out to tender to relieve some pressure on the States of Guernsey owned airline, which is currently dealing with ever-growing financial losses.

In the 2019 budget, released this week, for example, it was revealed Aurigny is expected to lose another £4.4m. for the year, but without the Alderney routes, it said it would be near to breaking even. 

Pictured: ED President, Deputy Charles Parkinson. 

Deputy Charles Parkinson, (pictured) President of Economic Development, said: "Following the strategic review of Aurigny last year, the Policy & Resources Committee recommended that the Committee for Economic Development should seek competitive tenders for the operation of air services on the Alderney-Guernsey and Alderney-Southampton routes. Subsequently, in July of this year, the States of Deliberation supported my Committee’s review of Guernsey’s Air Transport Licensing policy. This paved the way for Public Service Obligations to be developed on these two routes. 

“I am pleased that we are now in a position to ask the market for their suggestions as to how we can best provide these services going forward. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues in Alderney for their regular input and feedback as we developed the detailed specification for each route over the past few weeks.”

Public Service Obligations are used frequently in the European Union for air routes to peripheral regions and islands. They provide a chosen operator – appointed through a competitive tender process – with exclusive rights to operate a route and any necessary financial support, subject to an agreed service level and for a defined period of time.

While the Guernsey and Southampton routes are subject to separate PSOs, there are very likely to be operational or other efficiencies to be derived from a single operator serving both routes. 

Bidders will have eight weeks to respond; the closing date for submissions is Thursday 6 December. Supplier presentations will take place at "the earliest opportunity" in December 2018 or January 2019. 

The Committee said it will then present its preferred service proposal and associated financial support request to the States of Deliberation, for approval in February 2019. The PSO operator(s) will need to be able to start operations by an agreed date between Monday 1 April 2019 and Monday 30 September 2019.  

Pictured top: Alderney Airport.