It is a big step up for Skybus but as a local company at least they will be committed to this route and shouldn't be cancelling or delaying flights to prioritise private charters like Eastern did. The arrangements also look sensible, a wet lease from Blue Islands and then an arrangement with Aurigny that looks deeper than just a damp or dry lease arrangement, but at the same time means Skybus aren't shouldering the costs and responsibilities of operating a crew and engineering base from NQY on their own from scratch.

The latter was I think one of the factors putting off the other regional carriers as to make the route work they would have had to set up a new crew base at NQY.

I had forgotten this but interestingly the MD of Skybus, Jonathan Hinkles, was the CEO of Loganair for 8 years and so has experience of both running PSO routes and ATR services. It gives me some confidence that they can make a success of this and it won't be an Eastern amateur hour mark two.