Guernsey Airport to stay open later as part of Aurigny's profitability plans

Guernsey Airport will remain open for an extra hour and a half, on four days a week next summer.

Aurigny says 2026 has been one of the most difficult years in airline industry.

The Iran conflict has seen jet fuel prices soar, with the International Air Transport Association estimating a barrel now costs nearly 70% more now than in 2025.

Locally, Aurigny has responded to the sudden collapse of Blue Islands, and the new States-subsidised Heathrow route reducing demand on the Southampton and Birmingham services.

For these reasons, the state-owned airline expects to report "a significant loss" for 2026.

In 2027, it says it will continue to implement cost-saving measures such as reducing reliance on leased aircraft and matching capacity to demand.

But new for next year will be extended airport opening hours.

After discussions with Guernsey Ports, they've agreed to keep the site open until 10.30pm, four days a week, between 28 March and 30 October 2027.

Aurigny says the extra hour and a half will make better use of aircraft, crews and ground services.

The extension will bring the added benefit of more flexibility and longer day trip options for passengers, with later arrivals from London Gatwick, Manchester and Southampton.

The additional cost of these extended opening hours - if any - has not been revealed.

Aurigny’s Summer 2027 programme is on sale from today (6 October), with nearly 7,100 flights scheduled for summer 2027 - a productivity improvement of around 15%.

The full Guernsey and Alderney schedule is available to book up to 30 September 2027.

Chairman of Aurigny’s Board, Kevin George, says they want to serve Guernsey efficiently.

“Keeping Guernsey connected is a responsibility we take extremely seriously, and so is running the airline as efficiently as possible.

“This has been an exceptionally tough year for airlines everywhere, and Aurigny has not been immune.

"We have acted decisively to control costs throughout 2026, and the reduced loss we are planning for 2027 shows that this work is starting to take effect.

"The business has managed to deliver profitability in successive years after the COVID pandemic, and while the current conditions are not conducive to positive financial results, we are determined in our resolve to deliver reliable and efficient air services to Guernsey, notwithstanding the challenging conditions.”