Direct flights between Jersey and Normandy could return after an absence of more than 20 years, driven by the need to transport workers for the Island’s new hospital.
There has been no direct flight between Jersey and Normandy since the Caen route closed in 2001.
The proposal has been prompted by the construction of Jersey’s new hospital at Overdale, which is being delivered by French construction company Bouygues.
The project is expected to require around 100 workers to travel from France to Jersey each week during the four-year construction programme.
At present, direct travel between Jersey and Normandy is limited to sea connections. DFDS operates Jersey’s ferry service to and from St Malo in Brittany.
Jersey’s air links with France have recently improved with Finistair operating a seasonal service between Jersey and Brest in Brittany twice a week, and Loganair launching direct flights between the island and Paris Charles de Gaulle earlier this year.
However, neither route provides a direct connection with Normandy, and a new service could offer an additional and potentially more reliable option for workers travelling to the Island.
Normandy regional president Hervé Morin told ici Cotentin that the main challenge is finding an airline prepared to operate the route.
“We are desperately looking for an airline that would be willing to commit,” he said.
“We are in an unusual period where more aircraft are being built than ever, but many airlines are short of aircraft because of the increase in traffic.”
Jersey Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham indicated that public financial support could be considered - but only if the service has a viable future beyond the hospital project.
“We want to make sure that, if Normandy and the Channel Islands decide to invest in subsidising air links, starting with the hospital project being carried out by a French company, we create something sustainable,” he said.
“I don’t think we would be prepared to invest only for the short term.”
The ambition would be to combine travel for the hospital workforce with a scheduled commercial service, supporting tourism and wider business links between Jersey and Normandy with both Caen and Cherbourg being considered as possible destinations.
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