Sport: Inter-island flight caution required – Raymond

Blue Islands will be the sole operator on the route from 16 March, when the current two-year deal comes to an end, and the company’s managing director, Rob Veron, has said the move ‘will be of particular benefit’ to those wishing to travel for sporting fixtures as they can ‘tailor flights to meet specific demand’.

Jersey Sport Council chairman Hugh Raymond

However, Hugh Raymond has expressed concerns relating to schedules and flight costs now the airline – which last week signed a memorandum of understanding with Flybe – has no apparent competition.

‘I think there has to be a settling-in period,’ said Raymond. We want 12 months of stability with a guaranteed pattern so that sporting groups know where they stand between now and the end of the year, because a lot of people are going to be booking flights for inter-insulars and other individual events.’

He added: ‘It’s alright to say “we’re going to maintain flight patterns”, but – what about costs?

‘We have concerns about it becoming a monopoly … how do we control prices? Does this mean they’re going to go up? And with Condor’s varied timetables as well it’s not looking good … we have to be very cautious.’

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