Jobs at risk as Blue Islands axes flights to Alderney
Saturday 23rd April 2011, 2:29PM BST.
BLUE Islands flights to Alderney will cease on 10 May.
The airline employs four staff at Alderney Airport and their jobs are under threat.
A spokesman for the Healthspan-owned airline confirmed flights to Guernsey would end next month and that staff had been told they could be made redundant.
Alderney States member Paul Arditti said he sympathised with the Blue Islands staff.
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You can’t blame them for pulling out. Some States members have a policy to get Coates off Alderney all together. Possibly not the brightest idea given that the island is reliant upon tourists for a large amount of it’s income.
Whether the 4 star Braye Beach clientel will be so delighted to stay in the 2 star Bel Vue in future is debatable.
Apparently Alderney isn’t in recession anymore so that’s alright then…?
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I thought they were trying to apply for more flights out of Alderney?
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Hello….
Well…..at least you could spell our name correctly!
We are The Belle Vue Hotel, and proud to be so!!
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I do apologise Mr Collins: You’re the Belle Vue and proud to be so but whatever the spelling of the name what the Belle Vue offers is a distinctly different product from the Braye Beach and I would argue that the Alderney tourist trade benefits from having product at different levels for different tastes and wallets.
Now I have the name correct maybe you could comment on the substance of my point?
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Mr g – I think blue islands said they would more flights and cheaper ones to Alderney if the states allowed them to compete with aurigny on some destinations in the UK, the states said no.
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Shame on the States for such blinkered vision and not promoting every possible way of increasing tourism to th Island. It would seem the only balls they have are made of clay. If they put as much time into the Island ecconomy as useless lumps of mud then we may start getting somewhere. You can’t blame Mr. Coates taking his investment elsewhere you can only be kicked so many times before you pull away.
As for the 2* Belle Vue comment – to get two stars the hotel would nee to be officially inspected by th AA or similar oganisation but hasn’t so it hasn’t got any stars. But do agree there is room for every level of operator on a small Island. Pity Mr. Collins has never embraced the idea of working with instead of scorning the Braye Beach Hotel at every opportunity.
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A new world order is emerging some will lose others gain, beware of false prophets and Witch Doctors
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It’s a shame more wasn’t done to keep Blue Islands on board. I just hope Aurigny don’t put prices up now there’s no competition. The price of flying to Southampton is ridiculous these days, while Guernsey flights have stayed at a steady level with competition.
I’m not sure if Mr Coates is throwing his toys out of the pram, but it would be a great shame if the Braye Beach closed. It is, by quite some distance, the best hotel on the island. Even comparing it to the Belle Vue is laughable.
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This is actually about FOUR people about to loose their jobs and tourists, business people, families coming to Alderney for weddings, holidays etc with flights already booked for travel in June, July, August. NOT a post about which is the better hotel – The B.B or the B.V. both have their merits!!. And getting personal about either Mr.Coates or Mr.Collins is not very helpful both contribute alot to Alderney and deserve not to be savaged in this way.
UNEMPLOYMENT on Alderney is already high and now four more people with children, rent and mortgages to pay let’s spare a thought for them please.
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Mr Coates I believe is pulling out of Alderney because he couldn’t get on the Southampton route. Maybe he should have tried harder to make another uk destination viable rather than trying to muscle in on an already established route where they may not have been enough to accomodate 2 airlines (look what happened to the Alderney – Jersey service) I remember the days when Aurigny operated from a shed at Southampton now look at it this didn’t happen overnight maybe Blue Islands should have given it a bit more time.
As for Braye Beach & Belle Vue. Regardless of who’s is the best standard. The BV has been run by the same people for 30+ years (correct me if I’m wrong Mr Collins)they are open all year round except 25th 26th December. They have done this through good times & bad, and not run away at the first sign of trouble. So regardless of what anyone thinks of The Collins’s or the Belle Vue Hotel they must be doing something right.
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If you look at the Guernsey/Jersey schedule on their website you will seesome of the flights are operated by a trislander!. Has he stretched himself too far with his new routes operating to London City and Bristol from Jersey?
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You’ve only got the states to blame for this, not Derek Coates.
They really are a bunch of muppets that have no consideration for the people that pay their wages.
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This situation is entirely the fault of the States of Alderney. As long as the SofA continue to protect Aurigny at the expense of the Alderney economy, you will continue to be in the recession.
One does wonder if the SofA were pressurised into supporting Aurigny by the States of Guernsey ?
I do not blame Mr Coates in any way, they have had the licensing rules applied to them differently to any other operator or route. Monopoly protection at its best – alive and well in the islands. Expect massive fare increases by Aurigny – just look at their track record – its coming real soon. A very sad day for Alderney.
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If you would all just step back a bit and take a broader look you’d realise that whether or not SofA had licensed Blue Islands to operate to Southampton, the eventual outcome would have been a monopoly to Alderney, the market is simply not big enough to support competition.
Now consider: Would you rather that monopoly was operated by Aurigny who have provided over 40 years of robust service to Alderney, and who have no conflicting interests and are actually owned by the people, or by Blue Islands who have demonstrated no loyalty to any market, have minimal experience in operating an airline, and are the competitor to the rest of the Alderney tourism industry through ownership of the BB?
Wake up folks!
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I hope the 4 staff conerned are able to remain employed (in something).
Blue Islands could have sought to operate a different route rather then try for the Southampton one.
I wonder why Blue Islands and Aurigny both operate at a loss, oh yes perhaps it is because the States let Blue Islands operate on the same routes already established with one airline.
You have only so many bums you can attract, so aim to appeal to different bums from a different catchment area.
Shame Blue Islands could not see it as an opportunity, instead the company comes over as a child wanting to steal their siblings toy rather then go to the toy box and select a different one.
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I saw last night on Channel TV Paul Arditti who claims that the airfares will now go down thanks to Aurigny getting Blue Islands business — I fell on the ground laughing, this guy is good, thank god we now have comedians running the states instead of just plain idiots
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The prices may well go down, more bums available to fill the Aurigny seats.
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The sooner Mr Coates is kicked out of the airline industry the better, he’s a loose cannon the industry and the travelling public could do without.
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Who to blame for Blue Islands pulling out of Alderney?
States of Alderney? NO
Aurigny? NO
Mr Coates NO
People of Alderney & Guernsey? YES
Price for a seat with Blue Island for inter island flight £65 weather it’s the first seat or the last seat.
Price with Aurigny varies between 70-80 pounds, then on top of that credit card charges? but still the locals in both islands fly with Aurigny?
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There were only so many bums for those seats, so which ever way you look at it someone was going to hurt. Rather not the one my tax paying goes too.
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Spitfire,
Absolutely spot on.
Aurigny are now charging £47 each way Alderney / Guernsey with credit card charges of £4 per journey making a total of £102.
You may be able to get it a little cheaper if you book months ahead, but now Aurigny have the monopoly how long will it be before they put a proverbial hotel on Park Lane?
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Spitefire, you’re missing something there.
BI make the same losses as Aurigny, carrying half as many passenger. Unimpressive, to say the least.
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The logical conclusions here are that certain routes have insufficient volume for two carriers to compete on in a financially viable manner. On the other hand we must not allow unfettered monopolies on any route. The answer lies with granting a monopoly licence but within a strict service level agreement in which a year-round service is guaranteed and with maximum permitted fares set at a sensible but commercially viable level. There surely cannot be any other way for inter-island routes and vital lifeline routes like Alderney to the UK.
We also have to stop this ridiculous notion that airports have to break even financially as that results in crazy levels of landing fees. An airport on an island is a strategic essential asset, without which we cannot exist. So what if it exists at a loss if lower landing fees enables lower air fares and therefore more visitors who spend more in the local economy?
A big re-think of strategy is needed.
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GM. Well said – exactly what is needed.
SofA needs clear strategic thinking allied to an Island Plan, instead of crisis management.
How that message gets home is another matter.
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RB
Not just SofA – SofG as well!
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Good point @GM – franchise the routes along the lines of the UK railways (no pun intended).
Grant of license in exchange for commitments to fares, services and investment. Break the commitment, loose the license (as has happened in the UK). Carry more passengers than expected, keep the profit.
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