Aurigny’s first service by Twin Otter in Skybus livery took to the skies over the Channel Islands on Saturday 1st November 2025.
Following this historic event, on Monday 3rd November, the new aircraft was officially welcomed to Alderney by Bill Abel, Chair of Policy & Finance in the States of Alderney, and Nico Bezuidenhout, Chief Executive Officer of Aurigny.
A special commemorative cake in Aurigny’s colours, made locally on Alderney, was cut by Steve Parilla, Aurigny’s Station Manager in Alderney – and was greatly enjoyed by attending dignitaries and customers waiting to board their flight!
“This service by the world-renowned De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft represents both a significant landmark in the history of Alderney’s aviation and a new era in building ever more reliable, stable, and sustainable service on the lifeline routes between Alderney and Guernsey, as well as between Alderney and Southampton,” Nico Bezuidenhout, CEO of Aurigny stated. “This is a proud day for us all, particularly considering Aurigny was born out of Alderney. This step provides us with the right platform to ensure financial sustainability for this vital service well into the future.”
Bill Abel, Chair of Policy & Finance in the States of Alderney, said: “We now have a much more resilient service than we’ve had for some time for the island of Alderney. Compared to the Dornier, this service is a lot more robust. Aurigny’s continued positive support for the island is appreciated.”
The Twin Otter services are operated on behalf of Aurigny by Isles of Scilly Skybus, a British airline with over 40 years’ experience and recognised for their expertise in operating this aircraft type. Initially, the Skybus Twin Otter aircraft with the registration G-ISSG will be operating on the routes.
Jonathan Hinkles, Managing Director at Skybus, said: “The progress we have made together in a short period of time is remarkable and underlines our shared commitment to the community of Alderney Our prime objective is to deliver a highly dependable service both for Aurigny and its passengers.”
During the initial transition, services to and from Alderney will be operated by both the existing Aurigny Dornier 228 NG fleet as well as by the Twin Otter aircraft being introduced to the route.
As with any transition of this nature, there may be some challenges in the early days. Aurigny respectfully asks our passengers to be understanding of this and provide feedback to the airline on their experiences through Aurigny’s Post Flight Survey to help the airline get the service right every time from the outset.
A dedicated Twin Otter aircraft, exclusively for use by Aurigny and its passengers, will enter service later in the year. This aircraft has been completely refitted from tip to toe, boasting freshly overhauled engines, state-of- the-art avionics and modern comfortable seating with a fresh new cabin interior.
In early January 2026, Aurigny will be withdrawing the Dornier 228 NG fleet from service. From that time on, there will be a back-up Skybus Twin Otter aircraft permanently onsite to ensure the highest possible levels of resilience and reliability.