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Island says resounding 'no' to Aurigny name change

WHAT'S in a name? Quite a lot when it comes to changing the name 'Aurigny' to 'Air Guernsey'.

Alderney residents expressed strong feelings about a plan by a Guensey deputy to rename Aurigny Air Services.

Former advertising agency director Darren Duquemin has written to Treasury and Resources and the airline urging the switch.

He claims it would be the ideal time to make the change after the Treasury and Resources Department announced it was finalizing plans to buy an aircraft to cover Flybe's withdrawal of its Gatwick service.

Aurigny was founded and named by Sir Derrick Bailey in 1968 after British United Airways withdrew the Alderney to Guernsey route.

Deputy Duquemin said a change in name would see Guernsey being better promoted as a destination and would put right what should have been done when the airline was bought by Guernsey States in 2003. He has already secured the website domain names Guernsey Air and Air Guernsey.

"If someone searched Guernsey, Guernsey Air could easily be the number two link below Visit Guernsey" he said.

Student Holly Webster, 20, said: 'I wouldn't like the name to change to Air Guernsey. Alderney's airline has been Aurigny all my life. Alderney doesn't get that much attention from Guernsey and having the airline named after it puts us on the map that little bit. Plus it's original too - Air Guernsey is a bit boring.;

Peter Palmer, an Island newsagent, said: 'I can understand the reasons that Guernsey might want to change the name - they pay for airline - but I worked for Aurigny for 25 years so I would be sorry to see the name changed. I think it would be a sad day when 'Aurigny' no longer existed.'

Simon Chapman, estate agent, said: 'I would be totally against changing the name, because Aurigny is Aurigny. It's relates to how the airline started and the name should stay as it is. As for Aurigny not being understood by to people outside the Channel Islands - who knows what Quantas means? But that doesn't do Australia any harm.'

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