Nearly one in four flights (24%) at the Airport were delayed in the last three months of 2014, with passengers waiting on average 14 minutes, data released by the Civil Aviation Authority has revealed.
During the same period in 2013, 21 per cent of flights were delayed, with an average wait of 16 minutes.
The CAA ranked the 24 busiest airports across Britain for delays and Jersey Airport emerged as the second worst for punctuality, with Heathrow being named the worst.
A total of 26 per cent of flights from Heathrow were delayed during the last quarter of 2014 while 25 per cent left behind schedule in 2013. In both years passengers waited on average 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, according to new monthly figures published on the CAA’s website, 23 per cent of flights at Jersey Airport were behind schedule in March this year, with an average wait of 16 minutes.
View the latest arrivals and departures times here.[/breakout]
Today, Jersey Airport said it was ‘disappointed’ with the results and said that it would be trying to understand the reasons behind the figures in order to make ‘any necessary improvements’. However, it stressed that poor weather conditions played a ‘significant’ role in the delays.
Myra Shacklady, group commercial director for Ports of Jersey, said that the Airport ‘prides itself’ on the high level of customer care it provides passengers.
‘Our airline partners and their respective agents who handle all ground arrangements on their behalf work tirelessly to ensure aircraft operate to schedule,’ she added.
‘However, despite their best efforts a number of factors beyond their control can impact operations, resulting in delays to services. These include aircraft technical issues, occasional ramp congestion, especially at busy times, and significantly for an island airport, inclement weather conditions, which we are susceptible to throughout the year.’
The CAA previously only monitored on-time performance and average delays at ten airports across Britain. However, it has now increased its coverage to a further 14 airports – including Jersey.
The increased coverage means that 90 per cent of passenger flights are now monitored.
Iain Osborne, group director for regulatory policy at the CAA, said: ‘The CAA is here to look after passengers’ interests and we want to make sure people can make more informed decisions about which airport they would like to fly from.
‘Our expanded coverage means even more air passengers can now see for themselves how well the country’s busiest airports are performing against flight punctuality.’
THERE is no doubting that compared to ten or 15 years ago, Jersey Airport is now a modern gateway, fit-for-purpose and offering all of the usual trappings the modern-day traveller expects to find.
But behind the scenes, something is going wrong.
Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority have revealed that our airport is the second worst for punctuality out the 24 busiest in the British Isles, second only to Heathrow – one of the world’s busiest handling 73 million passengers a year compared to Jersey’s 1.5 million.
Living on a rock surrounded by sea, Islanders are well-accustomed to unpredictable weather affecting travel plans and, those who are able to, leave plenty of time if connecting on to other forms of transport, especially those expecting to sail to the UK by sea who are, at present, unsure whether their journey will go ahead or not.
However, it would seem that not all delays suffered at the Airport are down to the weather or the fact that we live on an island, with the average delay time of 14 minutes also being blamed on ramp congestion and technical issues with aircraft.
Has complacency crept in, both with those responsible for keeping our flights and boats on time, and also with travellers themselves, who are too accepting that our transport out of the Island can be delayed or cancelled?
Just this week Treasury Minister Alan Maclean expressed his frustration at those seeking to halt the first phase of work on the Waterfront financial district, warning that the negative attention the scheme is receiving is damaging Jersey’s international reputation.
He, and others, should be equally concerned about the potential impact today’s news about delays, on top of the already disappointing start Condor’s new flagship vessel has had, could have on our Island internationally. In the age of online reviews and forums, tourism will be hurt. But also high net-worth individuals and new businesses considering relocating to Jersey will surely be concerned about making their new base in an island which, at present, seems so poorly served, both in the air and on the sea.
