Aurigny Air Services is celebrating 40 years of operation at Southampton Airport. The airline is the longest serving operator at the airport, beginning flights between Southampton and Alderney in 1970, when the airline was just two years old. Back then, flights cost just £5.70 one-way.

Since then, the airline has flown 1.1 million passengers between Southampton and Alderney on over 100,000 flights. In 40 years, their fleet of six aircraft have travelled 9.5 million miles over the English Channel, providing the only direct service between the Island of Alderney and the UK mainland.

Famous for its distinctive aircraft fleet, the airline became the first commercial operator of the 14-seater Britten-Norman Trislander aircraft, which began operations at Southampton in October 1971. Today, the airline remains the world’s largest operator of the type. In the Channel Islands, the aircraft are known as Joeys, and one aircraft even carries the registration G-JOEY. There were also a series of children’s books written by Peter Seabourne, about the heroic Joey Plane.

Sir Norman Browse, President of the States of Alderney, said: "Aurigny Air Services has been our lifeline for 40 years. Its regular services and emergency support have enabled the Islanders to maintain close contact with Guernsey, Jersey and mainland UK at all times. Its staff are our friends and have never failed us. We thank them all and those wonderful little yellow aeroplanes and look forward to another 40 years of their irreplaceable service."

Malcolm Hart, Managing Director of Aurigny Air Services, commented: “For 40 years Southampton has played a vital part in connecting Channel Islanders with the mainland and we are extremely proud to be its longest serving airline. To date, Aurigny has made almost 106,000 trips between Southampton and Alderney, covering around 9.5 million miles, and has carried well over 1 million passengers. These figures alone illustrate the importance that islanders attach to this route.”

Maurice Wyatt, Station Manager at Southampton Airport, is the airlines longest serving employee of 39 years, as well as the longest serving employee across the whole of Southampton Airport’s 30 different companies.  He said: “I joined the Southampton team in 1971, and was lucky enough to see the first ever Trislander fly between Southampton and Alderney.  We like to provide a personal and friendly service.  In fact, I’m on first name terms with many of our regular passengers, often knowing three generations of the same family, and I love to hear their news and the latest updates on island life.”

Kevin Brown, Managing Director for Southampton Airport, added: “The continuation of flights between Southampton and Alderney for more than 40 years is a key aviation milestone for the region.  It is also particularly poignant that this anniversary should take place in our centenary year.”

 
Photo of the Aurigny Team (Left to Right): Captain Adrian Bennett, Pete Aldridge, Maurice Wyatt, Dave Greenwood and Alex Wright.