Buyout: Malcolm Hart and Finance president Laurie Morgan

There have been calls for the States of Guernsey to buy Channel Islands' airline Aurigny to safeguard air links between Guernsey and London's Gatwick airport.

It follows British Airways' (BA) shock decision to stop flying to the island.

BA has announced that from 16 June it will no longer run the service from Gatwick because its current aircraft are being retired and the company cannot justify replacing them.

The States is now to decide on Wednesday whether it should purchase Aurigny at a cost of about �5m.

State ownership

BA's decision to withdraw from Guernsey has been made because the 66-seater ATR 72 aircraft which operate the route will be retired and returned to their leasing company this summer.

BA marketing director Martin George said: "We have been looking long and hard at ways to try to maintain our Guernsey to London service, but, regrettably, and despite support from the airport and community, this has not been possible.

"Putting a larger aircraft type on the route is not an option as this would only serve to incur unsustainable losses."

The purchase of Aurigny Air Services, and its sister company, Anglo Normandy Aero Engineering, would cost Guernsey about �5m.

A decision on buying Aurigny will be made on Wednesday at a special sitting of the House.

The Advisory and Finance Committee has said if it does buy the air company, it wants Aurigny to be owned by the States but continue to operate independently.

It is hoped all 260 staff would be retained.

Aurigny Anglo Group chief executive Malcolm Hart said the buyout was the best solution for islanders as it would remove any uncertainty over the future of the Gatwick route.