Southampton rejection behind Alderney pull-out
Tuesday 26th April 2011, 11:30AM BST.
BLUE ISLANDS chairman Derek Coates yesterday clarified the reasons behind its Alderney pull-out.
On Saturday, the airline made a shock announcement that it would halt all of its flights to Alderney from 10 May and four staff at the airport there were told their jobs were under threat.
Mr Coates (pictured) said the closure of the Guernsey-Alderney route was necessary because of reasons that included the failed attempt to get a licence to operate the Alderney to Southampton route.
‘Without a second route out of Alderney our operation there would continue to be a drain on our resources,’ he said.
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As much as it’s a shame for the people of Alderney and the employees who’s jobs are under threat i have to conceed that it would not appear this is a ‘knee jerk’ reaction to not gaining approval for the Southampton route. At the end of the day it is a decision made from financial statements. I do not know anyone who works for Blue Islands or Mr. Coates, just in case anyone thinks i’m being biased…business is business and if you continue to put money into something a profit cannot be made from you will have no business.
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Tut Tut DC, all this tempermentalism. No wonder the States didn’t sell you Aurigny.
6 months ago he’s whingeing about not getting hands on airline then pulls out of Alderney.
While negotiating for aurigny declares he can stand the losses for many years, then puts HS on market.
Two weeks ago Guernsey Tourist Board aren’t doing their job well enough; this week’s Press says everyone else is booming.
There’s a pattern forming here.
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In fairness to Coates, isit?, he is in his late 60s and wants to offload Healthspan to have a more quiet retirement. However, he isn’t new to temprementalism having cut Alderney – Jersey, Alderney – Bournemouth and Alderney – Shoreham routes previously: little wonder he wasn’t allowed on the Southampton route.
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If I understand and remember rightly, he wasn’t actually refused a license because there was not enough room on the route. I am of the understanding that Blue Islands were not granted one due to other reasons, and they were more than free to apply again? I don’t feel sorry for Mr. Coates one bit, and he will not fool me into feeling sorry for him. I will wish him good luck however in his future business operations.
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Well, I suppose if you run an airline on the basis of giving free seats to anyone who stays for a bargain price at the Braye Beach Hotel Blue Islands was always going to lose money.
Am I thinking this was the same Mr Coates who was recently proclaiming his companys’ full allegience to Alderney when the sale of Aurigny was mooted, thank goodness the States of Guernsey weren’t suckered into that one.
I think this is a bit of rash decision on Mr Coates part as not only has he now lost the faith of the Alderney folk but also must risk losing business in other sectors his airline operates in; People will not book with an airline if there is a percieved notion that the airline may just cease operating the route, what happens to all the people who have booked for flights after 10th May if Aurigny can’t help out for any reason.
I’m afraid Mr Coates has proven not to be up to the job of providing a lifeline airlink to Alderney because he is purely concerned with profit, profits in other sectors should be used to help prop up these types of routes.
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Ed
Ole Coatee as he’s known up the Plaza is considerably older than you presume, a lifetime’s benefit of taking Healthspans pills.
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I thought Mr. Coates had “mis-applied” for the Alderney to Southampton route and that was the reason why his bid was rejected?
The current T&C for airline bids states that if a bid is rejected, it cannot be re-submitted for at least six months. Mr. Coates was previously refused the Alderney to Southampton route and then re-applied for the same route just two months later. Hence the second bid was not even really turned down, just not admitted as it was not made in line with the rules laid down previously for all airlines.
That was my understanding anyway.
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