ADDITIONAL routes to France are “absolutely” a priority for Ports of Jersey amid the ongoing drive to bolster the Island’s air links, according to the organisation’s chief executive.
Matt Thomas said that discussions with airlines about opportunities for new services in 2026 and 2027 were currently taking place.
In January, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel revealed that the government would “mobilise up to £2m over the next two years” to assist the development of new air routes through its Better Business Support Package.
Blue Islands started operating a twice-weekly direct flights from Jersey to Paris in May, running on Mondays and Thursdays until 30 October – with the service also due to return in 2026.
In 2022, Ports announced a five-year agreement with British Airways to fly to London Heathrow, that was projected to see more than two million passengers carried to and from BA’s global hub.
And a new twice-weekly service to Bournemouth is to be operated by Jet2 from next summer, with the airline also expanding some of its existing routes from the Island to the UK.
Commenting on plans for additional routes, Mr Thomas noted that airlines tended to make decisions in September and October.
“At the moment, we’re in that phase of speaking to a lot of airlines,” he explained.
“Some [of those conversations] will be for services in 2027 and some we are just trying to say, come on, there’s an opportunity in 2026.
“The airline challenge is to choose between all these different airports that are saying ‘I’m the best bet for growth next year’.”
In 2023, Deputy Morel cited Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon and Paris as some of the major cities that could be commercially viable, but stated earlier this year that “any new routes will ultimately be a decision for airlines in collaboration with Ports of Jersey”.
Mr Thomas said that he “would love to have additional routes to France”.
“Is that a priority for us? Absolutely. I can’t tell right at the moment whether there’s going to be any in 2026 but they’re certainly being discussed,” he added.
