Alderney Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | States of Guernsey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Alderney | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | La Grande Blaye | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 290 ft / 88 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 49°42′24″N002°12′52″W / 49.70667°N 2.21444°W /49.70667; -2.21444 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | alderney | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
.svg)  EGJA Location in the Channel Islands Show map of Channel Islands EGJA Location relative to France and Great Britain Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Sources: UKAIP atNATS[1] Statistics from theUK Civil Aviation Authority[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
Alderney Airport (IATA:ACI,ICAO:EGJA) is the onlyairport on the island ofAlderney,Guernsey. Built in 1935, Alderney Airport was the first airport in theChannel Islands. Located on the Blaye (1 NM (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) southwest ofSt Anne), it is the closest Channel Island airport to the south coast ofEngland and the coast ofFrance. Its facilities include an air traffic control tower, a hangar, and the Airport Fire Station.
Alderney is unique amongst Channel Islands airports in having three operationalrunways. The main runway, 08/26 is 880 m (2,887 ft) long and is mainlyasphalt. The two secondary runways are both grass, 13/31 being 733 m (2,405 ft) long, with 03/21 having a length of 497 m (1,631 ft). The main runway is equipped with low-intensity lighting, with portable lighting being available on runway 13/31. The approach and runway lights were replaced in 2006.
The terminal building, erected in 1968, contains an arrivals room and a departure lounge, with acheck-in desk for the airport's only scheduled airline,Aurigny.[3] Alderney is not a 24-hour airport; during winter, it is open Monday to Saturday from 0740 until 1830 and on Sunday from 0840 until 1830. During summer, it is open Monday to Thursday from 0740 until 1830 and Friday to Sunday from 0740 until 1920.
The airport also has its ownnon-directional beacon, with runways 08 and 26 utilizing this for instrument approaches duringInstrument meteorological conditions. Both runways also have an approvedGPS (satellite) approach.[4] This means that aircraft can land in lower visibility.
Alderney has self-manoeuvring stands. Formal stands are not required due to the lack of space to accommodate nose-in-configured aircraft.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Aurigny | Guernsey,[5]Southampton |
| Finist'air | Seasonal:Jersey[6] |
Currently the only direct scheduled links from the island areSouthampton andGuernsey. Routes to other destinations such asBrighton,Bournemouth,Cherbourg,Exeter,Plymouth andJersey were abandoned over the years due to whatBlue Islands, for example, claimed was 'lack of interest'. These routes had been operated on and off byAurigny andBlue Islands but also Alderney Air Ferries, Air Sarnia, and Air Camelot during the 1970s and 1980s. The number of air routes to the island is at its lowest since theSecond World War except for a brief intermission during the 1967-8 period, when another airline (Glos Air, later to beAurigny Air Services) was found to fill the void (see below right).[citation needed]
From September 2013, airlineAurigny operated direct flights toJersey on a trial basis for a period of six weeks.[7]
In April 2015, it was announced that the States of Alderney had asked airlineCitywing to operate a seasonal Summer service between Alderney andJersey usingLet L-410 aircraft.[8] However this service has not materialised.[citation needed]
In January 2017, a new airlineAir Alderney was set up with the intention of commencing direct flights usingBritten-Norman Islander aircraft from Alderney to destinations includingJersey,Cherbourg,Lee-on–Solent, andBrighton. Despite considerable progress being made in acquiring aircraft and obtaining anAir Operator's Certificate, to date operations have not yet commenced due to complications regarding ground operations at the intended destination airports.[citation needed]
TheStates of Alderney put aside £400,000 from the £1m paid for a £12 million expansion of the airport proposed in 2019. This was to be used to pay for redevelopment of the terminal, which is over 50 years old. During the 2020 covid lockdown, while aircraft movements were low, airport staff refurbished the buildings, including repairs to a leaky flat roof on the 1960s terminal, and patch repaired the runway.[9][10]
The runway was previously resurfaced in 1999 with a surface material having a design life of between 12 and 15 years. A major patch and repair was undertaken on the eastern end of the runway in the Autumn of 2016, to provide a short term improvement, but by 2018 it was reported that major work would soon be required for continued safe operations. In 2020 the runway was patched and repaired during covid lockdown by airport staff.[9][11]
On the 4th of July 2022 theStates of Alderney backed plans to extend the runway from 2,877 ft (877m) to about 3,444 ft (1,050m) so that larger aircraft such as theATR 72 plane can serve the island giving an additional 20,000 seats per year to help tourism. The terminal building and fire station would also be improved as part of the scheme. Aurigny Air Services Ltd also stated that the expansion would reduce their operating costs as they could remove the Dornier 228 from their fleet.[12]
In December 2022 theStates of Guernsey agreed to spend £24m on extending, widening and strengthening the runway, construction of a new terminal building and refurbishment of the fire service facilities. £3.5 million will be contributed towards the costs by the States of Alderney.[13][14]
It was reported in January 2023 that land acquisition to allow the runway extension and repositioning of the track to the west had already started. It was also reported that tenders would be issued in the next few months, but work to secure Civil Aviation Authority and European Union Aviation Safety Agency approval for designs for the work would be needed, before issuing construction tenders. However, it is expected that Work will begin in 2024 and will be completed in the second quarter of 2025.[15] Plans were approved in May 2024.[16]
| Year | Passenger Numbers | Year | Passenger Numbers | Year | Passenger Numbers | Year | Passenger Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 102,649 | 1999 | 77,198 | 2009 | 74,835 | 2019 | 50,562[19] |
| 1990 | 105,458 | 2000 | 75,199 | 2010 | 70,012 | 2020 | 27,211 |
| 1991 | 80,684 | 2001 | 72,111 | 2011 | 69,546 | 2021 | 42,261 |
| 1992 | 78,365 | 2002 | 72,861 | 2012 | 64,165 | 2022 | 51,646[20] |
| 1993 | 77,313 | 2003 | 72,248 | 2013 | 62,855 | 2023 | 49,546 |
| 1994 | 83,681 | 2004 | 74,292 | 2014 | 61,317 | 2024 | 47,736[21] |
| 1995 | 84,834 | 2005 | 76,205 | 2015 | 59,843 | 2025 | |
| 1996 | 84,012 | 2006 | 76,806 | 2016 | 57,595 | ||
| 1997 | 81,048 | 2007 | 79,087 | 2017 | 54,760 | ||
| 1998 | 73,099 | 2008 | 77,104 | 2018 | 53,343 |
Media related toAlderney Airport at Wikimedia Commons
