Jersey mail plane to be replaced by ferry for all post from August, Royal Mail confirms

All post sent to and from Jersey will be delivered by ferry from next month as Royal Mail confirmed it plans to scrap the island's mail plane.

The last flight to and from the island will be Friday 4 August, and all mail will be delivered by ferry from Monday 7 August.

This means all post will take at least two days to arrive leaving some concerned about how this could affect local businesses.

Reflecting on the decision, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Following discussions, Royal Mail and Jersey Post have concluded that the provision of the aircraft is no longer commercially viable for both parties.

“The decision will reduce costs for Royal Mail, amid a steady decline in letter volumes, and reflects a commitment to reducing the business’ reliance on flights as it works towards a 2040 net zero target."

On 2 May 2023, Royal Mail published a consultation that included proposals that would see post delivered by ferry to and from the Channel Islands, meaning it would take a minimum of two days to arrive.

As the jurisdictions aren't in the UK, the company isn't obliged by Ofcom to offer a next day delivery service.

The reason behind the decision, it says, was based on the fact letter volume has decreased dramatically in the last few years and it needs "to adapt to these changes in the market."

It also says the change will help it on its way to being net zero by 2040 as it will be less reliant on planes which emit more carbon into the atmosphere.

A petition called Preserve Jersey's Mail Plane started by Christopher Bee, the managing director of an air-freight-handling company, now has more than 1,300 signatures.

His company, OceanAir, deals with more than just letters and parcels, but also blood and organ samples, medication and animals moving to Jersey Zoo.

He wrote: "The potential cancellation of the daily mail plane service to Jersey threatens to disrupt our way of life, isolate businesses, and dismantle critical air freight infrastructure.

"This service underpins commerce and air freight and, without it, the Island would lag behind in logistics and face the risk of reduced competitiveness and diminished resilience.

"The discontinuation of this service would threaten Jersey's economic vigour and connectivity and would be felt by all - from individuals to businesses."

On local businesses' concerns, Royal Mail says: "Where specific businesses believe they will be unduly impacted by delays to the three islands, they should get in touch with Royal Mail via their account handler, or via our Business contact centre."

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