Guernsey Airport

Guernsey Airport
Guernsey Airport Terminal
IATA: GCI – ICAO: EGJB
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		States of Guernsey
Serves		Guernsey
Location		Forest, Guernsey
Elevation AMSL		336 ft / 102 m
Coordinates		49°26′06″N 002°36′07″W
Website		www.guernsey-airport.gov.gg
Map
EGJB Location in the Channel Islands
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
09/27	1,463	4,800	Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passengers			923,683
Passenger change 09-10			1.4%
Aircraft Movements			55,557
Movements change 09-10			3.6%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

The old terminal of Guernsey Airport, September 2003.

Apron at Guernsey Airport.

Guernsey Airport (IATA: GCI, ICAO: EGJB) is the largest airport in the Bailiwick of Guernsey and is the only airport on the island of Guernsey. It is located in the Forest, a parish in Guernsey, 2.5 NM (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) west southwest of St. Peter Port.

History

The airport was officially opened on 5 May 1939. However, regular air services only commenced in October 1946. By 1948, BEA were operating a daily service to Southampton using Douglas DC-3 aircraft. From 1951, Jersey Airlines flew BEA associate scheduled services to Southampton at weekends using Rapide eight-seat biplane airliners.

In 1960 there were four grass runways, with lengths ranging from 2,040 ft (622 m) to 3,060 ft (933 m). 1960 also saw the construction of a new tarmacked runway of a length of 4,800 ft (1,463 m). In early 2000s alongside the work on the new terminal, Commerce and Employment claimed an extension was necessary to allow use of larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737, or other larger jets for trans-European flights.

Aurigny Air Services has its head office on the airport property. At one time the Channel Islands subsidiary of British United Airways had its head office on the airport property.

Terminal Facilities

Work started on a new terminal building in 2002, which became operational on 19 April 2004. The old terminal was demolished in May 2004 to make space for additional aircraft stands and a passenger walkway from the new terminal. The new terminal was designed to be able to handle about 1.25 million passengers per year. In 2010, 923,683 passengers used the airport, with 55,557 aircraft movements.

Runway

Flybe are unable to operate their Embraer 195 aircraft into Guernsey due to the low strength of the runway, and elected to operate the smaller de Havilland Dash 8s. In 2008 business leaders and deputies were arguing the case for an extension from its current length of 1,463 m (4,800 ft) to 1,700 m (5,577 ft). Following several years of debate it was announced on the 2 October 2009 that Guernsey's airport runway and apron will be extended and repaired at an estimated cost of £81m.

The proposal is to add runway safety areas, RESAs, extend the take-off section by 120 m (390 ft), and displace the landing section to the west, the first of a two phase runway extension. The extension has mixed support, with some islanders and politicians campaigning against it, while others support it. The issue was settled by the island's government, with an Engineered materials arrestor system (EMAS) considered to save space. The runway extension was voted for by States members in 2011.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Air Berlin	Seasonal: Düsseldorf, Hanover, Frankfurt
Aurigny Air Services	Alderney, Bristol, Dinard, East Midlands, Jersey, London-Gatwick, London-Stansted, Manchester Seasonal: Grenoble
Blue Islands	Jersey, Southampton
Cityjet	Seasonal charter: Rotterdam
Flybe	Birmingham, Exeter, Jersey, London-Gatwick, Southampton Seasonal: Norwich Seasonal charter: Palma de Mallorca, Mahon, Malaga

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Atlantic Airlines	Post and Newspapers
Aurigny Air Services	Parcels, mail and newspapers

Atlantic Airlines operates from Bournemouth carrying mail and London Luton bringing in newspapers and DHL parcels, they also bring in general freight from Coventry. Aurigny Air Services carries some other post and also parcels on behalf of carriers including Fedex and UPS.

General aviation

A large number of single and twin-engined light and business aircraft are based at the airport. These, and numerous visiting general aviation aircraft, are serviced by based aviation engineering firms located in several hangars located at the southwest and southeast portions of the airport.

Handling agents

• Aiglle for business/general aviation
• Aurigny Air Services for themselves and Air Berlin
• Airbase Flight Support for Flybe, Blue Islands and VLM/Cityjet
• ASG (Aircraft Servicing Guernsey) for business/general aviation

Accidents and incidents

Main article: List of aviation accidents and incidents in the Channel Islands

On 7 December 1997 an F-27 (registration: G-BNCY) operated by AirUK arriving from Southampton overshot the runway while landing in high cross winds. The Fokker Aircraft aquaplaned on standing water, left the runway end and slid on the wet grass. The aircraft nosed into the cross wind, ending up some 100 m (330 ft) off the centre line in a field to the south of the runway. There were no fatalities among the 50 passengers and 4 crew members, although the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and subsequently written off.[1].

On 12 January 1999 a F-27 (registration: G-CHNL) operating a cargo flight for Channel Express arriving from Luton crashed short of runway 27 after deploying full flap on approach. As the flap deployed, the cargo moved aft and exited the aeroplane's mass and balance limits, the flight crew initiated a go-around which further exacerbated problem by raising the gear and applying power. The aeroplane pitched up uncontrollably and stalled which resulted in the aircraft impacting the conservatory of a house located under the flight path. Fortunately no one on the ground was injured, however both flight crew were killed by the resulting fire which engulfed the aircraft. The investigation concluded the aeroplane was not loaded in accordance with the loadsheet. [2].

Liaison groups

The airport authorities currently run two liaison groups, one for commercial airport users and one for airport neighbours. Unusually for a liaison committee the airport neighbours group does not permit attendence from the neighbouring local parish representatives.

Aerodrome noise abatement and environmental responsibilities

Guernsey airport does not have in place any sanction for pilots breaking noise abatement proceedures. Guernsey statute does not have any provision for the airport to pursue any environmental responsibilities. However in 2002 an overturned firetruck discharged PFOS fire retardant onto the airport apron. PFOS is a harmful carcinogen which subsequently leached into the ground at the top of the islands water supply. Because the airport is at the top of the island, the accident highlighted the vulnerability of the islands water supply to airport effluence. Aerodrome works have subsequently involved environmental engineering projects to better contain and divert contaminated effluence away from the water supply.^{[citation needed]}

Further reading

• Pinnegar, Edward (31 July 2010). A History of Aviation in Alderney. Amberley Publishing, Stroud. pp. 96. ISBN 978-1848689817. 

• Scott-Hill, Ian (1 April 1972). Channel Silver Wings: A Record of Service. Jersey Artists, Saint Martin, Jersey. pp. 62. ISBN 978-0901845085. 

• Doyle, Neville (1991). From Sea-Eagle to Flamingo: Channel Island Airlines, 1923-1939. Self Publishing. pp. 316. ISBN 978-1854211033. 

See also

• Transport in Guernsey
• Guernsey

External links

• Guernsey Airport - Official website
• Guernsey Airport - Unofficial website
• Guernsey Airport Photography Blog