Blue Islands collapses — Essential guidance for affected passengers

Blue Islands suspends trading — What passengers need to know

Update: Jersey-based regional airline Blue Islands has suspended trading and cancelled all upcoming services, including routes to Jersey, Guernsey, Exeter, Bristol and Southampton. The company confirmed the suspension on Friday.

Immediate actions for passengers

If your booking was with Blue Islands, do not travel to the airport. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised customers to make alternative arrangements and has published guidance on reclaiming fares paid to the airline.

Recommended steps:

• Check your travel insurance policy and any credit-card protection you may have — many policies cover disruption of this kind.
• If you paid by credit card, contact your card provider about a refund under the Consumer Credit Act; debit card payments should be discussed with your bank.
• Book alternative travel as soon as possible — regional carriers Aurigny and Loganair have added extra flights, and British Airways and EasyJet reported spare seats from Heathrow and Gatwick through Sunday. Additional options exist from London Luton, Birmingham and Manchester.
• Consider ferry crossings — DFDS ferries from Portsmouth were listed for Saturday 15 November and Monday 17 November.

Support and special arrangements

The Government of Jersey is coordinating help for passengers and asked the public to treat airline and airport staff with respect during this difficult time. Health and Care Jersey's Travel Office is prioritising passengers who need to travel to the UK for medical appointments: anyone booked for travel on the weekend (15–16 November) will be prioritised and contacted first, with callers contacted by 5pm on Monday 17 November if travelling next week.

Ports of Jersey confirmed Loganair would assist with essential services, including the medical route to Southampton. The island government is offering support to Blue Islands employees — staff can visit the Employment, Social Security and Housing office at Union Street or call 01534 444444. A staff briefing was scheduled for Monday 17 November at 14:00 at Union Street.

Consumer protections and scale of disruption

The Jersey Consumer Council warned that because Blue Islands was established in Alderney, standard UK travel protections may not apply. Council chairman Carl Walker advised displaced passengers — believed to number around 1,000 — to secure alternative bookings and claim costs via insurance or payment-provider protections. He also said more than 20,000 advance tickets had reportedly been sold.

"We are in that gap between the UK and EU, so normal civil aviation rules don't apply and that means the government or others don't step in and bring people back home," Mr Walker said.

Background — a brief history of Blue Islands

Blue Islands began as Le Cocq's Air Link, transporting perishable goods from Bournemouth to Alderney. Passenger services started in 2002, the airline traded as Rockhopper in 2003 and rebranded as Blue Islands a few years later. Based in Jersey, it operated inter-island services to Guernsey and routes to Bristol, Dublin, East Midlands, Exeter, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich, Ostend-Bruges, Paris and Southampton.

If you need immediate assistance or have concerns about medical travel or employment support, contact the relevant Jersey government offices or your travel provider. For media or story tips, BBC channel islands contact: channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.