Isles of Scilly Steamship Group boss resigns from role

A ferry and airline company boss has announced he will be stepping down from his role early next year.

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG) said its chief executive Stuart Reid had tendered his resignation in order to take up a new job in the transport sector, with his last day set to be on 16 February 2027.

Reid has been in his current role for seven years - airline Skybus has faced criticism in recent months over its handling of services to and from the Isles of Scilly, including the cancellation of flights during the summer.

A statement from the ISSG said Reid would remain focused on delivering its priorities while the recruitment of his successor took place.

Criticism had also been made by officials in the Isles of Scilly over a deal Skybus had with Guernsey-based airline Aurigny to provide aircraft for flights to Alderney from Guernsey and Southampton.

Some suggested this agreement had exacerbated problems with Skybus flights to the Isles of Scilly.

Other issues this year have included damage to a plane and hangars at Land's End Airport during Storm Goretti, which led to delays in the firm's aircraft maintenance plans.

This combined with rising fuel costs led to Skybus axing its Newquay to London flights two months earlier than planned.

In July Jonathan Hinkles left his position as managing director of Skybus with immediate effect, with Reid taking over on an interim basis, alongside being CEO of ISSG.

ISSG thanked Reid, who worked at the company for six years before becoming chief executive, for his "commitment and leadership".

"In the meantime, it is very much business as usual, with Stuart remaining focused on delivering the group's priorities, including the integration of the Alderney operation into Skybus and the technical acceptance of Scillonian IV," a spokesperson added.

The new Isles of Scilly passenger ferry is due to come into service in March 2027 .

Councillor Steve Sims, the former lead member for transport, economy and tourism at the Council of the Isles of Scilly, said he was initially surprised to hear of Reid's resignation.

"On reflection though, he had taken an awful lot of flack recently," Sims said.

"Maybe a fresh pair of eyes would be a good thing at this stage."

Sims added he would like Reid's eventual replacement to take a longer term look at how the company operated.

He said: "They really need to look at affordability as the islands have become quite an expensive place to come to.

"People looking to travel probably end up choosing to go elsewhere as it's probably cheaper to go abroad, which means we end up losing younger visitors who are the future of the islands and of course the Steamship Company."

Andrew Sells, Visit Isles of Scilly chairman, said the tourist board wished Reid "all the best for the future".

"We look forward to continuing to work with the Steamship Company," he said.

MP Andrew George, whose St Ives constituency includes the islands, said Reid's resignation would "not calm the anxieties" of people who were concerned about lifeline transport links.

"For the chief executive to back out during a period of challenging transition will only heighten those anxieties," the Liberal Democrat said.

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