Aurigny facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Aurigny Air Services

Founded	24 January 1964 as Glos Air Ltd 19 February 1968 as Aurigny Air Services Ltd
AOC #	373
Hubs	Guernsey
Focus cities	Alderney
Frequent-flyer program	Aurigny Frequent Flyer
Fleet size	7
Destinations	13
Headquarters	Guernsey Airport, Forest, Guernsey, Channel Islands
Key people	Sir Derrick Bailey, founder Nico Bezuidenhout, CEO Kevin George, chairman
Profit	–£7.6 million (2019)
Employees	280

Aurigny Air Services Limited (pronounced "OR-in-ee"), often called Aurigny, is the main airline of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Its main office is near Guernsey Airport in the Channel Islands. The States of Guernsey has fully owned the airline since 2003.

Aurigny flies passengers and cargo regularly to the Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It also has seasonal flights to France and Spain. Its main base is at Guernsey Airport. Other planes and crew are based at Alderney Airport. Aurigny is one of the oldest regional airlines in the world. It is the second oldest airline in Britain, after Loganair. The name Aurigny comes from an old word for Alderney.

History of Aurigny

Starting the Airline

An Aurigny Trislander plane in August 1989.

Sir Derrick Bailey started Aurigny Air Services. The airline began flying on March 1, 1968. This happened after another airline stopped flying between Alderney and Guernsey.

Aurigny first used Britten-Norman Islander planes. They built a good network connecting the Channel Islands to each other, France, and the UK. In its first year, the airline carried 45,000 passengers.

In July 1971, Aurigny became the first airline to use the Britten-Norman Trislander. They were the biggest user of this plane type until it was retired. Using this larger plane helped them add routes to southern England and northern France. In 1977, Aurigny was the first airline ever to ban smoking on all its flights.

In 1993, Aurigny won a contract to carry mail between the Channel Islands and the UK. In 1999, they started daily flights between Guernsey, London Stansted Airport, and Amsterdam Airport. They used Saab 340 planes for these flights. The Amsterdam route was later stopped because not enough people used it. But these new routes showed Aurigny was growing from a local carrier to a regional airline.

Becoming a Regional Airline

A Short 360 plane at Guernsey Airport in July 1995. Aurigny no longer uses this type of plane.

In May 2003, the States of Guernsey bought Aurigny completely. This happened after British Airways said it would stop flying the London Gatwick–Guernsey route. Aurigny has about 280 staff in the Channel Islands, France, and the UK. Aurigny also flies special charter services. They also help other airlines with ground services at Guernsey Airport.

In June 2006, a survey showed Aurigny was the most popular airline serving Guernsey. In March 2009, Aurigny announced new routes. They started flying between Jersey and London Stansted. They also restarted flights between Guernsey and East Midlands. Flights from Guernsey to London Gatwick also increased. In August 2009, Aurigny added winter flights to Grenoble.

Recent Developments

An Aurigny ATR 72 plane taxiing at Guernsey Airport in May 2009.

In April 2014, Aurigny announced it would stop using its Trislander planes.

In 2011, Aurigny faced some criticism. They reduced flights to Southampton and did not lower prices. However, they later improved the route. At the end of 2011, Aurigny introduced a new GPS approach system in Europe. This system helps their Trislander planes land in lower visibility and bad weather.

In October 2013, Mark Darby became the CEO of Aurigny. He started a trial with the Dornier 228 plane. This plane was meant to replace the older Trislander fleet. Aurigny later bought four Dornier 228 aircraft.

When Flybe announced it would stop flying the London Gatwick – Guernsey route by March 2014, Aurigny ordered an Embraer 195 plane. This was to make sure there were enough seats on the route. The new plane arrived in June 2014. Aurigny also agreed to offer 65% of its fares for £65.00 or less on the Gatwick route. In January 2014, Aurigny also planned to start a Guernsey – London City service. This route began in September 2014.

In March 2014, Aurigny and Blue Islands made an agreement for flights between Jersey and Guernsey. Blue Islands took over all flights on this route. Aurigny handled the ground services in Guernsey. Each airline sold half of the available seats. This agreement ended in January 2016.

An ATR 42-500 plane from Aurigny Air Services taking off from Bristol Airport, England (2016).

In April 2015, Aurigny got an ATR 42-500 plane. This plane was used for London City – Guernsey flights and as a backup. In December 2015, Aurigny announced new year-round flights from Guernsey to Leeds Bradford Airport. They also added a summer seasonal service to Norwich International Airport. In February 2016, Aurigny announced summer flights from Guernsey to Barcelona Airport.

In November 2015, the States of Guernsey agreed to help Aurigny financially. This was to pay off some of the airline's debt.

How Aurigny is Run

Ownership and Structure

Aurigny Air Services is part of the Aurigny Group. This group is fully owned by the States of Guernsey. This means the government of Guernsey owns and controls the airline.

Why Aurigny is Important

Aurigny has faced financial challenges for some years. However, its services are seen as very important for Guernsey's economy. A review in May 2017 stated that Aurigny's main goal should be to support the economy. It should provide key air services to help Guernsey grow. It also aims to offer affordable flights to the UK.

Challenges and Feedback

In June 2017, Aurigny stopped its medical transfer service for Alderney residents outside of normal hours. This meant medical transfers became the job of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at those times. The airline said it was due to a lack of staff. The States of Guernsey worked with Aurigny to fix this issue.

In April 2022, during the Easter holidays, flights to Alderney were cancelled for a few days. This happened because one Dornier plane was in for maintenance. Another Dornier plane had a broken part. This caused strong reactions from affected passengers. Many people had to travel by ferry instead. Some people suggested that Aurigny should have more planes or different types of planes. Aurigny stated that the Dornier planes are the right aircraft for the route.

Where Aurigny Flies

Destinations

As of December 2022, Aurigny flies to these places:

Partnerships with Other Airlines

Aurigny works with other airlines through special agreements. These are called codeshare and interline agreements. As of July 2022, Aurigny has agreements with:

• Blue Islands
• British Airways
• Eastern Airways
• EasyJet
• Loganair

Aurigny's Planes

Current Planes

Aurigny's Embraer 195 plane landing at Gatwick in May 2015.

A Saab 340 plane taking off from Bristol Airport in 2003. This type of plane is no longer used.

As of July 2023, Aurigny Air Services uses these planes:

Planes Used in the Past

Aurigny used to fly other types of planes. These include the ATR 42-500, the ATR 72-500, and the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter. They also used the Short 360 and the Saab 340. Sometimes, they leased planes like a British Aerospace 146 or a Boeing 737-300 when their own planes needed repairs.

Britten-Norman Trislander G-JOEY landing at Guernsey Airport. This plane was famous for the "Joey Club" and a book series.

In April 2014, Aurigny announced they would stop using their five Trislander planes. They replaced them with three second-hand Dornier 228s. Keeping the Trislanders flying had become too expensive.

Aurigny's special Trislander plane, nicknamed "Joey" (from its registration G-JOEY), was very popular. Many people wanted it to be displayed in Guernsey instead of being sold. Joey made its last flight on June 28, 2015. In November of that year, it was decided that Joey would stay on the island. In January 2019, "Oaty & Joey's Playbarn" opened. G-JOEY is now hanging from the ceiling there for everyone to see.

Images for kids

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  ATR 42-500 of Aurigny Air Services takes off from Bristol Airport, England (2016).

See also

In Spanish: Aurigny Air Services para niños