REMEDIAL work on the airport runway is the island’s top priority, according to the Chamber of Commerce. Its president, Mark Trenchard, said that while he doubted that the three-year projection for the work to be completed could be shortened, it should not be allowed to take much longer.

‘The runway, apron and taxiways have been gradually deteriorating, which is why the pavement classification number has reduced by about one third since 2000,’ he said.

If it were not done soon enough, some aircraft that people were used to seeing in Guernsey would no longer be allowed to land here on a regular basis.

A safe and strong pavement, with extended runway end safety areas, were vital to ensure that the local community was being served by the right type of aircraft, he said.

In a time when Guernsey was trying to deliver growth in business, its failure to have a proper infrastructure, of which the airport was a part, risked undermining the whole thing.

Mr Trenchard said the present situation was very frustrating and the States as a whole in the past eight years had not given the issue the priority it deserved.

He declined to estimate how much the work would cost, but said essential repairs in 2000 had been quoted at £3m. and that had risen to £10.5m. by 2004.

‘The money will have to come from capital expenditure,’ he said.

‘That said, we know that in 2001 the Board of Administration had included provision for possible resurfacing of the runway within the next three to five years in its airport rolling-capital programme.’

He hoped that States members would be given two or three choices of complete packages of options for work at the airport that would not be subject to amendment.

‘States members can be guided only by their knowledge and how many know about airports and runways?

‘We run a very serious risk that the Civil Aviation Authority could put serious restrictions on the type of aircraft that could land here and ﾓmenusﾔ get cherry-picked, not always in a logical manner.

‘It’s realistic that more than one proposal is made with one, say, including the maximum runway extension and another the halfway house.’

Chamber has consistently favoured lengthening the runway.

Mr Trenchard said Chamber member and pilot Robert Le Page had done huge amounts of work over many years on the whole issue and Chamber would continue to ‘open its arms’ with the offer of help.

‘We have a decent airport terminal to suit the island’s needs but it’s useless without the supporting infrastructure which we call the runway and collective areas,’ he said.