Public Services Department officials have said they were "misunderstood" over their intentions concerning Alderney's short grass runway.
The comment was made during a meeting between Alderney Airport Working Party and Public Services Department minister Paul Luxon, Deputy Scott Ogier and Guernsey Airport director Colin Le Ray, over the future of the island's two grass runways.
It was a part of a consultation i opened in September with a letter to interested parties from Mr Le Ray, detailing how much it would cost to bring Alderney's long neglectd runways up to Civil Aviation standards. The smaller grass runway would cost £300,000 to upgrade, he said, and the longer one £404,000 - which in light of low usage was difficult to justify.
Attendees learned that a total of 25 organisations have so far responded to the consultation and they include the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Guernsey Flying Club, Alderney Aircraft Owners Association, Alderney Flying Club and Aurigny. All unanimously expressed the opinion that the runways must remain open.
After the meeting Paul Arditti, who attended with Geoffrey Sargent and Chief Executive Roy Burke, said: "I am happy to report that Guernsey Airport and the Public Services Department have not abandoned any of the runways in Alderney. This was a misunderstanding. No decisions have been made but the result of the consultation undertaken by Guernsey Airport is overwhelming: no case can be made for abandoning any of the three runways in Alderney."
The "misunderstanding" was greeted in some quarters as a sign of back-peddling. In his September letter Mr Le Ray wrote: "The Board has committed to seeking funding approval for the works on the asphalt runway, but it is concerned over the costs associated with improving the long grass runway. For your information the Department has already directed that the shorter grass runway be closed, given its relatively low usage and the fact that a further sum of £300,000 would be required to undertake all of the necessary modifications to that strip." The meeting also saw Guernsey's own experts question Mr Le Ray's figures for runway usage - data that did not exist they reportedly said. The PSD board will discuss the results of the consultation and options for bringing the runways up to date at their meeting in December.
The Guernsey Bereavement Service has made three visits to Alderney over the past few months and would like to continue to help you. We are visiting the island again on
Tuesday, 23rd February 2024 and would invite anyone who feels they would like Bereavement Counselling to telephone the Bereavement Service Office on 257778 to make a time to meet one of our counsellors.
The Guernsey Bereavement Service has made three visits to Alderney over the past few months and would like to continue to help you. We are visiting the island again on
Tuesday, 23rd February 2024 and would invite anyone who feels they would like Bereavement Counselling to telephone the Bereavement Service Office on 257778 to make a time to meet one of our counsellors. 