Malcolm Hart MD of Aurigny.

REPORTS of Guernsey’s reliability as a punctual air link are great for its international reputation, according to Aurigny boss Malcolm Hart.
The airline’s managing director spoke after The Observer newspaper published an article advising people who are angered by flight delays to choose Guernsey over other destinations.
‘When people hear that Guernsey is an excellent place to fly to without being held up, it undoubtedly gives them an extra incentive to come here,’ he said.
He said the report reflected well on all airline operators who fly to Guernsey, especially considering the obstacles nature throws in the way from time to time.
‘We have to deal with fog sometimes, which is perhaps more prevalent in the Channel Islands than elsewhere, and that makes the fact Guernsey has done so well an even greater achievement.’
The Observer article by Jane Dunford was based on statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority.
‘If flight delays get you hot under the collar, it’s best to avoid holidaying in Dubai and to head to Guernsey instead, a new report by the CAA would suggest,’ she said.
Her article said most passengers travelling to Guernsey avoid air rage because 86% of flights take off as planned.
It described Heathrow Airport as a major culprit with regard to delays, with just 56% of scheduled flights taking off on time in the first quarter of 2008, a drop of 9% from 2007.
Mr Hart, who has been Aurigny’s managing director for eight years, said he was pleased to see that the punctuality of Guernsey’s main air links – Stansted, Gatwick and Manchester – had improved over the quarter.
‘Maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world that we don’t fly to Heathrow, considering those results,’ he said.