Not the time to rebrand Aurigny

I quote from the article: ‘If there is to be another discussion of the move, though, the time is almost at hand – the airline is putting together a business case to buy three new ATRs and if approved by the States, Aurigny hopes to have them operational by the fourth quarter of next year.’ This will be used as another justification to push forward to spend millions unnecessarily on purchasing three new aircraft. What worries me even more that the airline is still preparing the business case. There is a time limit, it seems, on the US$600,000 they put down when signing the letter of intent to buy the three new aircraft. Was it not, according to a statement by Deputy Ferbrache, end of October? If they submit their ‘business case’ late, (and maybe intentionally late), to the States, the States will have little time to react before that US$600,000 fee is lost.

Mr Haines, the right time to rebrand was a couple of years ago, before the airline undertook the following:

1. Receive delivery of the first Dornier 228NG G-OAUR;

2. Complete repainting of the two ATRs G-VZON and G-COBO;

3. Redesign of the logo to include the word ‘Guernsey’;

4. Complete overhaul and relaunch of the new website;

5. Launch of the new fares strategy

6. Revamping of the inflight magazine

7. Receive delivery of the second new Dornier G-ETAC;

8. Launch of the Aurigny inclusion on the Easyjet Worldwide website.

So, why bring up this subject now? Because they are pushing for those three new ATRs. Even though they have three now, all less than 10 years old, and are stuck with one 19-year-old machine on a long lease.

And, incidentally, when they repainted recently those two current ATRs, they could have repainted them with the word ‘Guernsey’ on the side, like the older ATR, and not again with the words ‘Channel Islands’.

So, Mr Haines, now is not the time. Get your boys to do some work and sign up with BA to be a franchise partner with them and then go ahead with rebranding. Don’t you find it strange, Mr Haines, that Blue Islands found it worthwhile doing an expensive rebrand and becoming part of the Flybe network? And yes, your boys will come back and say that BA are not interested and it will all be too expensive. But don’t believe everything they tell you.

And while you are at it, Mr Haines, sort out the airfares. When people say they want lower fares, they do not mean those £17 or £20 fares that pop up sometimes to Gatwick or now even to Manchester. They mean a fairer fare structure across the board. Lower fares on the Alderney routes, and a minimum of say £35 on the Gatwick route but a maximum of, say £80 or £90 one way on that route and others.

While I appreciate Aurigny as they do do a lot of good for the island, provide a valuable service to it and have some wonderful people working for them, the management do at times come up with some really bewildering strategies.

ALVIN FURRER,

4, El Tawfiq Street, Cairo.