Coronavirus: Guernsey and Isle of Man 'air bridge' to start in July

Travel between Guernsey and the Isle of Man will be possible without self-isolation under an "air bridge" agreement between the two governments.

Commercial flights, operated by Guernsey States-owned airline Aurigny, will start next month for an initial six-week period.

It would be the first agreement of its kind in the British Isles during the coronavirus outbreak.

The last scheduled flights between the two Crown Dependencies were in 2013.

In a joint statement, the governments said both islands had "very similar measures in place for border controls from other locations, and robust testing and contact tracing capabilities".

Neither had recorded a new case of Covid-19 for "several weeks", the statement added.

Both jurisdictions currently have a 14-day self-isolation period for new arrivals, with Guernsey due to pilot a scheme next month allowing people out after one week if they test negative.

The agreement follows talks between the airline and the governments and public health teams of both islands.

Chief Minister of Guernsey Gavin St Pier said it would offer people from both territories "a chance to get away this summer without the need to self-isolate".

Isle of Man Chief Minister Howard Quayle said the agreement was a "major milestone" and reflected "how well both communities have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic".

Speaking on Wednesday, Aurigny chief executive Mark Darby said flights were likely to be "a couple of times a week" from late July.

"We've got really unlimited availability of aircraft and crew if the demand is there," he added.

The arrangement would also allow Manx residents to travel between the other islands within Guernsey's Bailiwick, including Alderney and Sark.