In less than three weeks, the UK has just seen the bankruptcy of two regional carriers. At the beginning of October, Eastern Airways, one of the UK's leading domestic carriers with almost 1.5 million passengers a year, went out of business. Its two main bases were Aberdeen airport in Scotland and Humberside airport in north-east England. The carrier was a major operator of offshore drilling platforms in the North Sea. In the 2000s, Eastern Airways also operated routes to France, before leaving following the Brexit.
With Blue Islands is no longer the main operator from Jersey. The company operated a fleet of 5 70-seat ATR72s between Jersey and Guernsey, Bristol, Exeter and Southampton, as well as Dublin during the Paris summer season. Bankruptcy was abruptly declared after the Jersey government decided to stop subsidising the company.
When the bankruptcy was announced, Jersey's Minister for Finance and Resources, Elaine Millar, stressed the urgent need for the island to re-establish its air links. " Air connectivity is essential for our Island. The Government is working with an alternative carrier to ensure Jersey has reliable and sustainable air links for the long term."she said. Jersey is nevertheless linked by British Airways and easyJet to London Gatwick and Heathrow. The low-cost carrier also offers flights to Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester.
Jersey's special status as a major international centre for financial and legal services certainly explains the very rapid replacement of Blue Islands. Just hours after announcing the closure of its operations, Loganair, a Scottish regional airline based in Glasgow, announced that it would start flying to Jersey on Sunday. The carrier is offering "emergency fares" of £80 one way. Above all, Loganair has said it is ready to become Jersey's benchmark airline.
" We arrive "said Luke Farajallah, CEO of Loganair. The carrier promises to offer a more extensive timetable from March onwards, and is even considering starting flights to the East Midlands and Leeds/Bradford, which were originally included in the Blue Islands 2026 summer timetable. However, there is no mention of reinstating flights to Paris...
