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Travel restrictions caused losses topping £65m

Travel restrictions caused losses topping £65m

Friday 02 June 2023

Travel restrictions caused losses topping £65m

Friday 02 June 2023


Aurigny and Guernsey Ports suffered tens of millions of pounds worth of losses between 2020 and 2022.

The States of Guernsey’s internal review into the covid-19 pandemic response detailed the near £100m cost from just before the first lockdown to the ending of all legal restrictions.

But the report highlights other “notable impacts” on other States-owned enterprises, including the airline, airports, and harbours, which were not included in the "emergency response" total.

Aurigny reported a loss £33m due to the pandemic through reduced trading and the depreciation in aircraft values. 

Meanwhile Guernsey Ports reported that £31.75m was lost out on in the same period.

Ports have also advised that Alderney Airport lost just over £0.5m between 2020 and 2021. 

The report added that local and global evidence suggests travel trends are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels this year.

Supressed demand will therefore continue to impact on trading performance as we return to business-as-normal during 2023,” it said.

But the airline hopes that this year will see a return to profits through stronger flight demand compared to the Isle of Man and UK.

airport duty free

Pictured: Duty free sales, landing fees, and mooring fees fell off a cliff with the arrival of covid.

Policy & Resources received approval from States members in March 2020 to provide temporary emergency funding to Aurigny. 

Aurigny announced in early May that it would extend the suspension of scheduled flights until the end of August. From the first lockdown it decided to review scheduled flights on a rolling monthly basis.

It continued to operate lifeline services daily between Southampton, and Alderney, but seat numbers were reduced to allow for distancing between passengers.

It put on more flights between Guernsey and Alderney when each of the islands were at a safer level 

More than half of the airlines staff were furloughed during the more restrictive periods of the pandemic.

Other elements not factored into the States’ covid cost total from April 2022 include the ongoing vaccination programme, surveillance community testing and sequencing of virus samples, and the continuation of online platforms such as the vaccination certificate system.

READ MORE...

Aurigny: Demand up and fuel use down so far in 2022

Cost of covid tops £100million

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