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Bmi announces Heathrow-Jersey flights

Published: 01/02/2007 - Filed under: News »

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After a gap of almost seven years the Channel Island of Jersey is poised to regain its direct air link with Heathrow.

All centres of finance and tourism need efficient connectivity with the outside world in order to prosper, and this Channel Island has lost out ever since British Airways switched its Heathrow service to Gatwick in October 2000.

Wooed by cash support from the Jersey authorities Bmi has announced it will launch a twice daily service from the island to Heathrow starting on March 25. Flights will be timed for connections worldwide and especially to suit Bmi's fellow Star Alliance partners like United, SIA, Lufthansa and SAS. The timings will also be ideal for business day trips.

Says senator Philip Ozouf of Jersey's economic development department, "This is fantastic news. The Heathrow route strengthens our link with the rest of the world, making the island much more accessible to international travellers and business people."

Although some international connections were available via Gatwick it was Heathrow which offered most possibilities. And that meant taking an unpredictable road transfer between the two airfields.

Jersey-based travellers had one other option: a weekday link to Paris Orly via Cherbourg operated by a French commuter airline. But the evening timings made that service even less practical particularly as the flight didn't arrive at Paris' main CDG hub.

Bmi will operate flights with a newish 130-seat Airbus A319. Flights will depart Heathrow at 0710 and 1840 returning from Jersey at 0840 and 2035. Flight time is one hour and, booked now, typical return fares at the end of March start from £68.

For more information go to flybmi.com.

Report by Alex McWhirter