Wednesday 24 March 2021
General Update
As my predecessor has reported, in 2018, the States approved proposals from the Committee for Economic Development for a quasi open-skies policy under which airline operators serving routes, other than routes that were designated as "lifeline routes" would be exempt from the need to hold a Guernsey air transport licence.
The lifeline routes from Guernsey are Gatwick and Alderney.
As a consequence of the adoption of that policy, the Transport Licensing Authority has had no licence applications to determine since the last statement in March 2020.
In December 2020, the Policy and Resources Committee reported on discussions on a five year commercial agreement with Aurigny on air transport services to Alderney. I anticipate that the Authority will need to meet when that agreement is finalised as its role in relation to the imposition of a public service type obligation on a lifeline route, in this case Guernsey to Alderney, is set out in the Policy Statement approved by the States in 2018.
The Authority notes that in the Government Work Plan - stage 1 recently published by the Policy and Resources Committee, the States is asked to note the emerging recovery actions set out in Appendix 6 of that Plan. Those actions include the finalisation of an air and sea policy review and the Authority is ready to contribute to that review on its role and functions as the air transport licensing authority if required to do so.
The Authority also notes the Government Work Plan also recommends the rescission of a number of extant States' Resolutions including one directing the States' Assembly and Constitution Committee to review the role and constitution of the Authority. The Policy and Resources Committee has made this recommendation on the basis that such a review should be should take place after consideration has been given to the Island's transportation policies.
