Alderney Airport

Alderney Airport
IATA: ACI – ICAO: EGJA
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator States of Guernsey
Serves Alderney
Location St Anne
Elevation AMSL 290 ft / 88 m
Coordinates 49°42′24″N 002°12′52″W / 49.70667°N 2.21444°W / 49.70667; -2.21444Coordinates: 49°42′24″N 002°12′52″W / 49.70667°N 2.21444°W / 49.70667; -2.21444
Website www.alderney.gov.gg
Map
EGJA

Location of airport in Channel Islands

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 877 2,877 Asphalt/grass
13/31 733 2,405 Grass
03/21 497 1,631 Grass
Statistics (2015 Provisional)
Passengers 59,843
Passenger Change 14-15 Decrease2.4%
Movements (2014) 6,183
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]

Alderney Airport (IATA: ACI, ICAO: EGJA) is the only airport on the island of Alderney. Built in 1935, Alderney Airport was the first airport in the Channel Islands. Located on the Blaye (1 NM (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) southwest of St Anne), it is the closest Channel Island airport to the south coast of England and the coast of France. Its facilities include a hangar, the Airport Fire Station and avgas refuelling. In 2014 the airport handled 61,317 passengers and 6,183 total movements,[2] continuing the downturn in traffic noted in recent years.

Runways

Aerial view of Alderney Airport

Alderney is unique amongst Channel Islands airports in having three operational runways. The main runway, 08/26 is 880 m (2,887 ft) long and is mainly asphalt. The two secondary runways are both grass, 14/32 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 14/32. The approach and runway lights were replaced in 2006.

Operations

The terminal building, erected in 1968, contains an arrivals room and a departure lounge, with a check-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 0855 until 1830. During summer, it is open Monday - Thursday from 0640 until 1730 and Friday - Sunday from 0640 until 1830.

The airport also has its own non-directional beacon, with runways 08 and 26 utilizing this for instrument approaches during Instrument meteorological conditions. A GPS (satellite) approach is also being developed in conjunction with Eurocontrol and NATS. This will mean 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 and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Aurigny Guernsey, Southampton

Currently the only direct scheduled links from the island are Southampton and Guernsey. Routes to other destinations such as Brighton, Bournemouth, Cherbourg, Exeter, Plymouth and Jersey were abandoned over the years due to what Blue Islands for example claimed was 'lack of interest'. These routes had been operated on and off by Aurigny and Blue 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 the Second World War except for a brief intermission during the 1967-8 period, when another airline (Glos Air, later to be Aurigny Air Services) was found to fill the void (see below right).

From September 2013, airline Aurigny operated direct flights to Jersey on a trial basis for a period of six weeks.[4]

In April 2015, it was announced that the States of Alderney had asked airline Citywing to operate a seasonal Summer service between Alderney and Jersey using Let L-410 aircraft [5] however this has not yet materialised.

Statistics

The number of air routes to and from Alderney is currently at its lowest since 1945
Year Passenger Year Passenger Year Passenger

Numbers
[6][7]

1989 102,649 1999 77,198 2009 74,835
1990 105,458 2000 75,199 2010 70,012
1991 80,684 2001 72,111 2011 69,546
1992 78,365 2002 72,861 2012 64,165
1993 77,313 2003 72,248 2013 62,855
1994 83,681 2004 74,292 2014 61,317
1995 84,834 2005 76,205
1996 84,012 2006 76,806
1997 81,048 2007 79,087
1998 73,099 2008 77,104

Future

The States of Alderney has put aside £400,000 from the £1m paid for the expansion of the airport. This will most likely be used to pay for redevelopment of the terminal, which is over 40 years old and has a leaky flat roof.[8]

Further reading

The book documents a previously unpublicised aspect of the island's history, was published by Amberley Publishing in summer 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Alderney - EGJA
  2. ↑ Civil Aviation Authority Statistics 2014
  3. ↑ Alderney Airport website (see external links)
  4. ↑ "BBC News: Alderney to Jersey air route back in new trial". 27 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "BBC News: Citywing airline asked to run Alderney-Jersey route". 16 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Alderney Airport Master Plan". States of Guernsey. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority". Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  8. ↑ Pinnegar, Edward (2010). A History of Aviation in Alderney. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-84868-981-7.

External links


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