Wednesday 29 June 2022
General Update
To begin with, I would like to explain that the duties and responsibilities of the Transport Licensing Authority are limited to the determination of applications for air route licenses.
Under the quasi-open skies policy approved by the States, a Guernsey air transport licence is only required by airlines that operate routes that are designated as lifeline route.
The Alderney and Gatwick routes were originally designated as lifeline routes, however, in June 2021, the Committee for Economic Development made Regulations designating the Southampton route as an additional lifeline route.
As a consequence, the airlines operating that route required an air transport licence and those airlines were Blue Islands and Aurigny.
Blue Islands held a licence for the Southampton prior to the approval of the quasi-open skies policy and this dormant licence was reactivated.
Aurigny did not hold a legacy licence and therefore made an application to the Authority. After consideration of the application and the representations made in respect of that application, the Authority agreed to grant a licence to the airline for the Southampton route.
The Authority has received no other applications in respect of lifeline routes.
