Aurigny Air Services will damp-lease two DHC-6-300s from Skybus to replace its two Do228-212(NG)s by the end of 2025, supporting a multi-year extension of its Public Service Obligation for flights from Alderney to Guernsey and Southampton.
Skybus will deploy the two additional DHC-6-300s from its fleet of four, starting operations from Alderney on November 1, 2025, while Aurigny’s Do228-212(NG)s remain in service until year-end for a smooth transition.
Skybus’s 17-seat Twin Otters will provide air ambulance, mail, freight, and pet travel services for Alderney, with replacement aircraft available during maintenance to ensure reliable air links.
Aurigny will focus on operating its five ATR72-600s from Guernsey, outsourcing Alderney operations to Skybus, with pilots offered retraining for Twin Otters or ATR72-600s.
The partnership allows Skybus to invest in manpower and infrastructure, strengthening its island services connecting Alderney and the Isles of Scilly.
Jonathan Hinkles shared: “As with Skybus’s operations in Isles of Scilly St. Mary’s, our 17-seat Twin Otters will also play an integral role in the delivery of air ambulance, mail, freight, and pet travel services to and from Alderney. We’ll provide replacement aircraft from within the Skybus fleet to cover periods of maintenance, a step which will be important in delivering a high level of resilience for Alderney’s air links. The year-round stability and economy of scale which this new agreement brings will enable Skybus to invest in manpower and infrastructure, ensuring that Skybus and all of our lifeline island services – whether connecting Alderney or Scilly – are robust and truly dependable.”
