Islands 'extremely unhappy' with airline's service
BBCIslanders say they are "extreme unhappy" with the unreliable flight service they are experiencing while an airline operates a new route.
Tourism and business leaders in the Isles of Scilly have said Skybus is letting them down after signing a deal to run flights to the Channel Islands.
Skybus said it was forced to suspend its Exeter to Isles of Scilly flights following a turbulent start to the year, including damage to aircraft at Land's End Airport during Storm Goretti.
Jonathan Hinkles, the airline's managing director, said it was on track to resume flights on Thursday while the deal with Aurigny would strengthen its business and "enable further investment" to support the Isles of Scilly.
The suspension of flights is the latest in a number of issues this year for Skybus, which is part of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG).
Along with the storm damage, which the firm said delayed its aircraft maintenance plan, the airline announced on 1 April it had cancelled its daily Newquay to London flights.
It had been due to operate the flights until a Passenger Service Obligation contract with Cornwall Council and the government expired on 31 May.
Skybus said its services from the islands to Land's End and Newquay airports have continued.
But officials in the Isles of Scilly believe Skybus's problems have been exacerbated by a deal with Guernsey-based airline Aurigny in which a Skybus plane will be used for flights to Alderney from Guernsey and Southampton.
'Serious issues'
Tourist board Visit Scilly said the cancellations of the Exeter flights was "clearly very concerning".
Chairman Andrew Sells said the island's economy was predominately based on tourism and he knew a number of people were "extremely unhappy".
Sells said: "I hear the flower industry has suffered badly and that postal services have had serious issues."
He added ISSG had assured the community its Aurigny contract would not impact local air services, but the deal had ended up compromising the Isles of Scilly.
Sells said a letter signed by 150 residents about ongoing reliability of both freight and passenger services to the Isles of Scilly demonstrated how "let down the community feels".
"It appears to the locals in Scilly that the Channel Islands are being preferred and that is not what we feel like the Steamship company should be doing," he said.
Euan Rodger, executive vice-chair of Visit Scilly, said the organisation was working "constructively" with ISSG to find a solution.
"It is important for all of us to ensure the islands stay connected from many departure points and that business interruption and disruption is kept to a minimum," Rodger said.
The Council of the Isles of Scilly said the current level of performance from Skybus at the start of the tourist season "undermines the ability to retain and attract new visitors".
Robert Francis, Lead Member for Economy, Tourism and Transport, said "serious concerns" from the community and businesses had been raised to Skybus.
He said ISSG had highlighted the need to seek additional revenues from other routes, such as the Channel Islands, in order to cover the costs of its Scilly flights.
Francis added: "This approach does call into question whether the strategy now being pursued by the company provides the level of resilience required to provide reliable lifeline link fixed-wing air services to the Isles of Scilly in the future."
'Hugely grateful to staff'
Hinkles said Skybus' deal with Aurigny would "enable further investment" to support the Isles of Scilly and strengthen its business.
He added a delay in getting two new Twin-Otter aircraft into service due to regulatory and other issues had "unfortunately exacerbated" problems.
"We're on track to resume flights to and from Exeter from 4 June, as promised," he said.
"It is a regrettable yet unavoidable consequence of change to any airline's schedules that customer contact teams must update customers with often-unwelcome news.
"We are hugely grateful to the dedicated teams working to keep customers informed in advance of their planned journeys."
Aurigny declined to comment.
