Blue Islands (SI, Jersey) has started legal proceedings against the Guernsey Transport Licensing Authority (GTLA) over the activities of Waves (Guernsey), a local start-up, the Jersey Evening Post has reported.
Blue Islands argues that Waves, formally an air taxi company and thus subject to less stringent licensing laws, is, in reality, a scheduled operator and should, therefore, undergo full certification procedures.
Waves is marketing itself as an ad-hoc air taxi whose services do not operate according to a fixed schedule. However, Blue Islands pointed out in its court filing that as the start-up has been selling individual seats on pre-defined routes, it is, in effect, operating as a scheduled passenger airline rather than an air taxi.
Blue Islands underscored that by not holding the appropriate license, Waves is operating illegally. The plaintiff carrier also added that despite repeatedly raising this issue, the GTLA's failure to furnish it with an appropriate answer had forced it to take legal action.
Waves is offering charter services between the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney using a single Cessna (single turboprop) Grand Caravan EX.
For its part, Blue Islands operates a flybe. (2002) franchise offering regular passenger flights between Jersey and Guernsey as well as to Bristol International, London City, and Southampton.
