Aurigny hit by 'widespread delays' due to fog

Aurigny passengers are facing "widespread delays" after its planes were unable to land due to heavy fog, the airline has warned.

The States-owned carrier said all four ATR aircraft made several attempts to land on Saturday night but they had to turn around owing to the conditions in Guernsey and Alderney.

It said its planes and crews were "starting the morning in the wrong place" and it expected "widespread delays to flights all day as a knock-on to the aircraft and crew being out of position overnight".

Matthew Newman, who is travelling from Manchester to Guernsey with his wife and baby, said his original flight was cancelled but his rebooked flight was facing up to five hours of delays.

The passenger said: "We're not going to get home until at least 10 o'clock - and there might be fog today as well, so God knows if we are going to get back or not.

"Every single flight is sold out from all the other airports down south until Tuesday.

"There's absolutely nothing, so we're just stuck here, really."

He said the Aurigny's communication had been "appalling" and he was frustrated by an instruction to arrive early at the airport for a severely delayed flight.

"You wonder what you do in Manchester Airport for five hours with a baby," he said.

Aurigny said its aircraft and crew were due to return to Guernsey later and passengers are advised to check in at least 45 minutes of the scheduled departure time, regardless of any delay unless told otherwise by Aurigny.

It warned some passengers affected by cancellations may have to wait longer than normal to be rebooked on to another flight "due to limited availability over the next few days".

"We sincerely apologise and understand how frustrating the wait can be," it said.

Passengers can check if their flight is affected on the Aurigny website.

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