In brief: External Relations Minister Senator Ian Gorst has told a Scrutiny panel that the British Airways Heathrow route is “absolutely critical” to Jersey’s economic future. He signalled his willingness to use public funds to support the link if necessary, as part of the broader Time to Win financial services growth programme backed by nearly £31 million.
Heathrow or Bust
If you want to understand how seriously Jersey’s government takes its London air link, consider this: the External Relations Minister is prepared to open the public purse to keep it flying. Senator Ian Gorst made that position unambiguous during a hearing before the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel, telling members that British Airways and its Heathrow connection are “absolutely critical to our economic future.”
The Jersey Evening Post reports that Gorst went further than simply expressing enthusiasm, stating that an evening later rotation from Jersey to the UK with BA, operating all year round, is equally critical. For a finance centre that depends on the ability to get bankers, lawyers and fund managers in and out of London on the same day, that is not a trivial point. A late departure means a full working day in St Helier before catching a flight home. Without it, Jersey becomes a harder sell to the kind of international talent the island needs to attract.
Gorst confirmed he had discussed the matter with both Ports of Jersey and Economic Development Minister Gerald Voisin, and was clear about where responsibility sits: “Ports of Jersey are the people authorised on behalf of government to have those conversations with carriers.” However, he added that if Ports of Jersey require financial support to maintain those services, he believes it would be an appropriate use of the competitiveness fund. That fund forms part of the Time to Win programme, which carries a funding envelope of almost £31 million.
Time to Win: The Bigger Picture
The Heathrow discussion took place in the context of a wider hearing on the Time to Win document, unveiled in March, which sets out a delivery roadmap for growing Jersey’s financial services sector. The programme covers a broad range of actions, including increased investment in targeted external marketing and the development of a concierge service designed to give what the JEP describes as “a warm welcome to new-to-Island international business.”
Treasury Minister Senator Alan Maclean was also present and offered a frank assessment of the competitive pressures Jersey faces. “Many of the businesses in Jersey are multi-jurisdictional,” he told the panel. “If there’s too much friction here, for example, at whatever level, it’s too costly, we’re not competitive, it’s too hard, they’ll put their clients where they’re going to be treated the best and get the best results and outcome.” Maclean argued that the message is already getting through to industry: “There’s a change afoot, we’re here for growth and we want you here and we want you to grow your business here.”
The connectivity challenge is not made easier by wider aviation pressures. Gorst noted that easyJet has already made cuts to its winter schedule, a consequence of rising jet fuel prices linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “We live in a world where airline transport is even more difficult,” he observed. That context makes the BA Heathrow slot all the more valuable, and all the more worth protecting.
Public Money and the Competitiveness Fund
The suggestion that public funds could be directed toward supporting a commercial airline route will raise eyebrows in some quarters. Jersey has form here: the island has historically subsidised air and sea links on the grounds that connectivity is infrastructure, not luxury. Gorst’s framing of potential BA support as a legitimate use of the competitiveness fund places it squarely in that tradition, treating the Heathrow link less as a transport convenience and more as a piece of economic infrastructure without which the finance industry’s competitive position erodes.
Whether Ports of Jersey will ultimately need that support, and on what terms, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the government has drawn a firm line: the BA Heathrow route is not something it is prepared to lose quietly.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
