THE island could have to choose between a modern airport and development of other facilities, a minister said yesterday. Public Services’ Bill Bell said that it would present a choice of options to the States, as it was bound to do under the terms of a 2003 resolution.

He said his department might have to ask for money and it would not go out to tender until the House had decided which elements it wanted upgraded.

‘Guernsey will have to decide whether it wants to maintain full contact with the outside world or spend the money on other communal facilities,’ he said.

UK consultant RPS Burks Green was engaged early last year to advise on how improvements to the runway could be carried out to enable larger aircraft to use it.

Its report to the department will include options including extending the runway.

But Commerce and Employment minister Stuart Falla was disappointed that the report from Public Services had not gone before the States earlier.

He hoped that the stand-off between Flybe and the department could be resolved and they should work towards that.

The cost of bringing people in on a Dash 400 would be more than for the Embraer aircraft Flybe cannot use and he hoped that some sort of a compromise could be reached and that passengers would not have to pay.

Deputy Bell said his department would take the report to the States later this year with details of all options and estimated costs for improvement.

This would take the form of a menu from which the States would have to choose.

But work on the runway, taxiways and apron areas would have to go ahead.

Ground lighting for aircraft would also need to be replaced as it was becoming increasingly harder to get spares for the existing system.

Work was expected to take about two years.

‘Things become time-expired,’ said Deputy Bell.

He said he would not estimate costs before delivery of the report and said it was too early to say whether that could be met from the Port Holdings Account.

‘It depends how much it is and whether the account would be able to carry that level of expenditure.

‘We might be able to service a reasonable debt from the account but if it’s a larger amount, it might not be a suitable finance resource.’

Overspends at the New Jetty and St Sampson’s Marina would affect the account, but how big they were has not been finalised.

*Deputy Bell has denied Flybe’s claims that the runway is deteriorating as the airline had suggested. ‘It is fit for purpose and we wouldn’t be using it if it wasn’t.

‘Safety is paramount,’ he said. All maintenance and service requirements have been carried out and there has been regular inspection. But it does need rehabilitation and improvement works. We are talking about a very considerable sum of money.’

The runway was last resurfaced in 1975. It was treated in 2000 and last year to improve braking.