Calls for Guernsey to make more of subsidised Paris air link

More could be done to attract visitors to Guernsey through its direct flight to Paris, according to the president of the island's hospitality association.

The route, operated by Aurigny under a States-backed agreement, has received its full subsidy in 2024 and 2025 after failing to meet revenue targets.

The Committee for Economic Development said the service had brought more than 2,000 visitors to the island and generated an estimated £1.4m in visitor spending.

Guernsey Hospitality Association president Alan Sillett said flights were at about 60% capacity, giving scope for significant growth.

Sillett said Paris was an important international hub and questioned whether Guernsey was making the most of the connection.

"Connectivity is massive for a small island and if we can pull the levers to get more major branded airlines in, let's do it," he said.

"The visitor economy can grow and one of the main levers is air connectivity."

The Paris route is being operated under a 36-month agreement designed to establish the service, with Aurigny receiving financial support if revenue falls below agreed targets.

Aurigny's chief commercial officer Philip Saunders said the airline was continuing to build a new market while facing higher operating costs, including fuel prices.

"We've been seeking to continue to give as good value as we can whilst at the same time building up a new market," he said.

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, President of the Committee for Economic Development, said 2,021 visitors had travelled by air to Guernsey by the end of 2025 whose return journey originated in France.

Using the standard estimate of £693 spent per visitor arriving by air, she said the route had generated about £1.4m for the local economy.

"At the 21-month contract checkpoint, the Guernsey economic benefit from direct visitor spend was higher than the estimate on which the subsidy approval was based," she said.

The committee said higher operating costs and lower-than-expected ancillary revenue had affected the route's financial performance, but maintained its overall economic impact had been positive.

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