Threat of delays at Channel Island airports due to recruitment issues
Recruitment issues and cancelled flights have been affecting airline passengers travelling to and from the Channel Islands.
Covid is playing a major part in the staff shortages across the transport industry, but it is also become harder to recruit. Recent delays in and out of Jersey were accredited to a shortage of ground and baggage staff. There are also continued chaotic scenes at some UK airports like Manchester with queues of passengers winding around the terminal buildings.
Ben Le Huray from Guernsey Ports says: "Staffing is always a challenge and we put in a lot of time and effort to maintaining them. We work very closely with our partners, security partners, G4S. We have a strong relationship with them and help them with the recruitment process. Overall we've been very fortunate during the pandemic in taking proactive measures to safeguard our staffing levels during that period." Those in the travel industry say people travelling have to factor this when arriving at airports . Robert Mackenzie from CI Travel says: "We're telling people to turn up in plenty of time, allow more time than usual to get through check in and security. But I'm pretty sure that over the course of the summer as things start to settle down we will be okay." Passengers departing through Guernsey airport this summer should also allow more time for security checks as new equipment is installed. Only one lane will be open as part of a £1.5m security upgrade programme. Airport staff say the new scanner will mean bigger trays for clothes, liquids and laptops and include a shoe scanner, so passengers will not have to take off their footwear.
Major disruption and cancellations over Easter in Alderney were caused by technical issues with the Dornier planes. At least one politician wants the current public service contract to be reworked to include a three plane model.
Steve Roberts from Alderney States says: "I think we have to look at the PSO, go back and look at the PSO with Aurigny's agreement, that some form of contingency plan has to be done before we vote for the longer runway and the ATR system and if it happens before that period of time it will be a few years. We can't go on like this the people of Alderney are fed up."