In brief: Loganair chief executive Luke Farajallah has marked the Scottish airline’s first anniversary of operations in Jersey, describing the year as a success and confirming that core UK routes will continue year-round. The airline carried 150,000 passengers across 3,700 flights in its debut year, though fuel costs and a network-wide winter capacity reduction of 15 to 20 per cent remain live concerns.
A Standing Start, a Solid Year
A year ago, Jersey’s air connectivity was in genuine peril. On 14 November 2025, Blue Islands announced it was suspending operations with immediate effect, having struggled financially and owed millions to the government, including the bulk of a loan provided during the Covid pandemic. The carrier later confirmed it was going into liquidation. The following day, Ports of Jersey announced that Loganair would step in to “ensure continuity of vital air connectivity”.
Twelve months on, Loganair’s chief executive Luke Farajallah is in a reflective mood, and by his own account, a satisfied one. “I think we have made ourselves very much part of the fabric of Jersey and I really hope that continues,” he told the Jersey Evening Post.
The numbers behind that confidence are not insignificant. The airline flew over 520,000 miles in and out of Jersey, operated 3,700 flights, carried 150,000 passengers, served eight destinations and logged 2,400 flight hours in its first year. For an operation launched at essentially no notice, that is a reasonable set of figures.
One of Loganair’s early decisions was to absorb more than 50 former Blue Islands staff before November 2025 was even out. Mr Farajallah described it as “really our pleasure to be able to offer so many people immediate employment back in an airline environment,” and credited that team as central to the year’s performance.
Routes: What Stays, What Goes, What Might Come
Beyond its core year-round services to regional UK destinations including Exeter, Bristol and Southampton, Loganair operated summer routes to Paris, Bordeaux, East Midlands and Norwich, as well as independent charters. Ports of Jersey cited these services, alongside Finistair’s Brest route, as contributing to an overall rise in air passengers compared with 2025. At one point during the summer, the island benefited from up to six weekly flights to France.
Not all of those routes will return. Mr Farajallah told the JEP that Bordeaux is likely to come back in 2027, but Paris probably will not. “It was a route that Blue Islands did have some trouble with,” he said. “It’s a route that we’re not seeing long-term sustainable demand.” He suggested the charter business would grow to fill some of that gap, with European destinations appearing through that channel instead.
On new routes, Mr Farajallah was tantalisingly vague but broadly optimistic, saying Loganair is “in contact with a number of airports, some in the UK, some in Europe,” who see Jersey as both an inbound and outbound opportunity. No announcements are imminent, but the pipeline appears active.
The airline is planning a network-wide winter capacity reduction of 15 to 20 per cent, achieved by diverting two or three aircraft into long-term maintenance and offering staff opportunities for unpaid leave, training and development during the quieter period. Crucially, Mr Farajallah was clear that Jersey’s core UK routes are not affected. “Our core network, so those are the UK routes from Jersey, they will continue all-year-round without any cutbacks,” he said.
Headwinds: Fuel Costs and the Guernsey Question
The year has not been without turbulence, to borrow an unavoidable metaphor. Fuel costs have been a persistent pressure, with Mr Farajallah noting earlier this year that the International Air Transport Association found jet fuel prices in Europe had more than doubled year-on-year. He has acknowledged that Loganair remains “exposed” to ongoing global energy market volatility, a challenge shared by regional airlines worldwide.
Then there is the Guernsey situation, which remains unresolved. Earlier this year, Guernsey’s Transport Licensing Authority provisionally rejected two Loganair applications, for services between Guernsey and Jersey and between Guernsey and Southampton, concluding that “strong competition on these routes would likely lead to it being unviable for all operators in the longer term.” The approved inter-island service went instead to Aurigny, which is wholly owned by the States of Guernsey. The decision raised eyebrows about whether a state-owned operator was being protected from competition, though the TLA’s reasoning was framed in terms of market sustainability.
Mr Farajallah told the JEP that conversations with the Government of Guernsey remain “very convivial” and that Loganair still hopes the situation will eventually be resolved. For now, though, he is keeping his focus firmly on Jersey. “Right now our focus is Jersey, making sure that really hums seamlessly,” he said.
He also praised Visit Jersey chief executive Tricia Warwick, describing her as “one of the best advocates locally” for the island’s inbound tourism offer.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
