Standard Isle of Man to UK next-day mail delivery to be scrapped

Automatic next-day delivery of standard mail between the Isle of Man and the UK is set to stop in mid-October.

It comes after Royal Mail said it was to remove the guarantee to Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey addresses.

As a result of the change in commitment, the dedicated mail plane is to be replaced by ferry transportation.

Other options for next-day delivery for Manx businesses that need it would now be trialled, Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) said.

The changes mean that from mid-October all standard mail will take at least two days to get to UK addresses, and mail posted in the UK to Manx addresses the same.

The post office said a special delivery guaranteed UK next-day service for businesses using a scheduled airline would now be trialled.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said discussions had concluded the aircraft was "no longer commercially viable for both parties".

"The decision will reduce costs for Royal Mail, amid a steady decline in letter volumes, and reflects a commitment to reducing the business' reliance on flights as it works towards a 2040 net zero target," she added.

The decision follows a consultation on various aspects of the firm's deliveries, including the scrapping of the next-day delivery services to the Crown Dependencies, which are not covered by the domestic requirements under Ofcom's Designated Universal Service Condition.

Consultations on the impact of the changes by IOMPO found the majority of the 3,700 individuals and 115 businesses that took part thought a longer delivery window for UK standard mail was "reasonable".

However, 88% of firms said tracked mail was "essential or important" and 68% said guaranteed next-day delivery was important.

An additional Chamber of Commerce survey saw 73% of the 102 firms to respond say keeping the next-day guarantee was "critical", with a "majority" willing to pay higher tariffs for it.

IOMPO chief executive Simon Kneen said as a result Royal Mail's Tracked 48 product would be introduced for businesses, and a special delivery guaranteed UK next-day service for businesses using a scheduled airline would now be trialled to "assess customer demand and gauge commercial viability".

Final service arrangements, including pricing for the new products, are still being drawn up.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]