AIR fares will increase and flights will be scrapped as some of the Channel Islands’ biggest airlines suffer from the increasing cost of fuel.

Aurigny, which runs 170 flights between Jersey and Guernsey per week, has announced that it has increased fares by about five per cent.

Blue Islands says it will cancel ‘two or three’ of its daily flights between Guernsey and Jersey and increase fares on longer routes. And Flybe, the Channel Islands’ biggest carrier, has refused to deny that it may be forced to cut the number of flights to and from Jersey in its autumn and winter schedule.

The announcements come as Jersey Airport increases its security costs and airlines across the world are forced to scale back operations and increase prices because of rising fuel costs.

Passengers face paying another 12.5 per cent rise in security charges at Jersey Airport from the beginning of September. It will be the second increase this year and will mean that the security charge has risen by 47.5 per cent since the beginning of January.