Select a region
Blue Islands is suspending its Jersey to Birmingham service this winter after claiming that its business model "cannot viably co-exist" with that of a competing airline.
The suspension will take effect from 2 November and last until March, when the service will be resumed ahead of the summer season.
Blue Islands took over the Birmingham route in 2020 following the collapse of Flybe .
The Jersey-based airline later increased its flights on the route to up to two per day.
Pictured: easyJet re-established its service between Jersey and Birmingham from April 2024.
But in a statement yesterday, Blue Islands said that "the arrival of competing easyJet services from Summer 2024" had "undermined Blue Islands’ ability to serve the route profitably".
The statement continued: "easyJet is able to fly between Birmingham and Jersey using aircraft slots left vacant between its core routes on which it earns its keep.
"In contrast, Blue Islands has to recover the full cost of its aircraft and crews employed on the Birmingham route, yet can no longer do so.
"The two business models cannot viably co-exist, as has been proven elsewhere in the UK market in recent months."
The airline said that Blue Islands customers with bookings on flights between Jersey and Birmingham on or after 2 November until March 2025 have been contacted about the route’s winter suspension, and given a choice of re-booking on its Jersey to East-Midlands flights or a full refund.
"Should competitive changes lead to an opportunity in future to fly to Birmingham on a year-round basis, Blue Islands will happily review the situation at that time," it added.
Express has contacted easyJet for comment.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.