Air Alderney (London Biggin Hill) is likely to face a delay of around three to four months to its planned service launch date while it re-applies for new route licences, according to a report in the Bailiwick Express newspaper. The regional carrier had planned to start services from Alderney to Jersey, Lee-on-Solent, Cherbourg, and Guernsey in February 2020.
The airline's company Chairman Danny Brem-Wilson claims that the licences obtained in March 2018 by the operator should still be active, but the States of Alderney, which issues the licences, disagrees.
"The States has asked us to do another application for the routes so it's going to drag the process out by three to four months,' said Brem-Wilson. "If it wasn't for that we could start tomorrow. We've set up an office at the Flying Club in Jersey. We've asked for both fixed wing, to use the Islanders, and a helicopter, as aircraft listed on the licence."
However, States of Alderney Chief Executive Officer Andrew Muter, suggests that the licences were issued on the basis that operations would start with six months of being awarded, and were originally granted on a different Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and were due to be flown by a helicopter.
"The recent Air Route Licence applications made by Air Alderney are made on the basis of specific aircraft and a different AOC," said Muter. "The appropriate due diligence is now being carried out before the Air Route Licence applications are considered by the Air Transport Route Licensing Board."
According to its official Facebook page, Air Alderney plans to use its two BN-2, G-HEBO (msn 2268) and G-BJED (msn 2119), on its start-up network. It will be working with Airtask Group which holds an AOC and runs Islander services in Scotland.
