Air Alderney (London Biggin Hill) is planning to launch scheduled helicopter services out of Alderney to each of Jersey and Cherbourg in France using Eurocopter EC155 equipment leased from Heli Holland Airservice as the carrier hit procedural obstacles in obtaining own air transport licence.
Air Alderney will announce the launch date "very soon", the carrier said in a press statement.
Meanwhile, the start-up's planned fixed-wing operations have suffered a setback. The carrier planned to apply for an air operator's certificate through Guernsey-based company 2-REG. However, it has been advised by Guernsey's Director of Civil Aviation that under the new rules, carriers with AOCs issued by 2-REG will no longer be granted licences to commence scheduled commercial operations.
"This would mean that we would not be able to fly to the UK or France should we obtain our AOC with 2-REG presently," it has said.
To solve the situation, the carrier has reached an agreement with Benair (BDI, Stauning) to re-register its BN-2, 2-BILL (msn 2119), in Denmark and operate it through the Danish company's AOC. Despite the move, Air Alderney has said it still intends to obtain its own AOC via 2-REG and hopes that it will resolve its conflict with the local authorities.
The States of Alderney has already granted the airline route authorities to conduct scheduled passenger and cargo services from Alderney to Jersey, Cherbourg, and Shoreham by Sea. Air Alderney also plans to fly to Lee-on-Solent, the carrier's website shows. The carrier also received freight-only route authority for Alderney-Guernsey service.
According to the ch-aviation capacity module, Alderney, the smaller of the two main Channel Islands islands constituting the British Crown Dependency of Guernsey, is currently connected to Guernsey and Southampton by Aurigny Air Services. No other airline operates scheduled services out of the airport.
