This Is Guernsey

By Simon Tostevin

Aurigny’s Joey Trislander decked out for Christmas a few years’ ago.

AURIGNY has criticised a Flybe advertising campaign that appears to try to belittle it. It is linked to an email that Flybe has sent to customers where it claims to be Guernsey’s number one for low fares, punctuality, comfort and service.

It also compares its ‘professional 78-seater’ aircraft with Aurigny’s ‘small aircraft called Joey’ and how its rival has not added any new routes since 2005. Aurigny commercial director Malcolm Coupar hit back at the claims.

‘The ATR aircraft is perfectly suited to Aurigny’s network and is more environmentally friendly than Flybe’s Dash8 Q400, which, incidentally, it doesn’t even use on its Gatwick services.

‘We are excited about taking delivery of two new and even better ATRs in 2010.

‘The Britten-Norman Trislander has an excellent and proven track record and we are proud that they remain in our fleet.

‘As for Joey, thousands of children have grown up with him and he’s a character that many islanders hold close to their hearts. Only a bully would pick on him.’

He admitted surprise at its rival’s stance. ‘Flybe, by its own claim, is Europe’s largest low-cost regional airline. It carried more than seven million passengers in 2007 and collected more than £500m. in revenues. This makes it around 20 times the size of Aurigny.

‘It seems strange that Flybe would spend so much of its time on criticising a smaller airline.

‘Maybe this is because since Aurigny replaced British Airways as the competition to Gatwick, we have grown every year and now we carry around 40% more passengers than BA ever did while Flybe carry fewer and fewer each year.’

Flybe chief commercial officer Mike Rutter said it stood by what is said in the advert and its punctuality figures.

‘However much Aurigny try to spin it, Flybe offer more routes, more regularity and more choice in newer aircraft for the Guernsey travelling public, despite Aurigny having the financial backing afforded by being a nationalised airline.’