Fog-busting technology could help avoid delays

New systems are now available that allow ATR aircraft – operated by both airlines – to land when there is greatly reduced visibility.

Andrew Haining, chairman of Guernsey airline Aurigny, said that if the airline made use of the technology, fog-based disruption could be reduced by up to 50 per cent.

Mr Haining, who made the comments at a recent Guernsey Chamber of Commerce lunch, estimated that cancellations due to poor visibility cost the airline between £500,000 and £1 million every year.

He called for an assessment into the financial impact that fog has on the island as a whole, to help build a business case for buying the new equipment. However, both airlines stressed that there were no immediate plans to buy the new kits.

All three Channel Island airports have been plagued by poor weather during the past two weeks, with more than 1,500 departing passengers being affected in Jersey on Monday alone.

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