Should the States sell off the Airport?
Thursday 25th August 2011, 2:56PM BST.
Should the States sell off the Airport?
ISLANDERS have been suggesting radical ways for the States to save millions of pounds in running costs.
Ideas such as selling Jersey Airport, reducing the number of politicians, increasing the ceiling on Social Security payments and keeping school trips closer to Jersey are just some of the ways that Islanders think the States could save money.
The suggestions have come after ministers launched the Value Jersey initiative last month to involve the public in the government’s cost-cutting drive, which aims to save the Island £65 million by 2013.
• See Monday’s JEP for full report
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.
Travel
To, from and around the Island
Airport Arrivals/Departures
Harbours Arrivals/Departures
Bus Information/Timetables
JOIN US ON...
Facebook and Twitter
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Got a story? Get in touch
KIT 4 CLUBS
Win a share of £10,000
2012 is the year of the London Olympics and to celebrate this great event the Jersey Evening Post, in association with sponsors Ogier is giving all sporting clubs a chance to win a share of £10,000.
This is Jersey
Jersey Evening Post
Useful links
Stop resurfacing roads that aren’t desperately bad, building £10 million town parks when the beach is minutes away, giving golden handshakes and employing consultants to tell us what the people on this forum have been saying for years – that should do it.
Report abuse
Yes, sell off the airport because any other business would work to a budget unlike the states!!!
Report abuse
Another way for the states to save money – TAKE THE CHEQUE BOOK AND CARDS AWAY!!!
Report abuse
The problem with selling off the Airport is that private enterprise has shareholders who will require a vast amount of money back in share returns. The only way this can be achieved is by the private owners to hive of the profitable part of the airport and keeping in the profit making areas and selling on or asset striping the non profitable parts and selling on those parts of the operation for some one else to suffer losses on.The airport charges will increase dramatically and both tourism and commercial users will be priced out of the market causing further losses to the local economy. A forwards thinking manager is required here to make reasonable profit for the States coffers through the running of the airport. Having been personally involved in an advisory capacity with some UK airports I know this can be achieved.
Report abuse
I don’t get it.
They are looking for radical ideas for saving money and at the same time were thinking of buying a new police headquarters site.
Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?
Report abuse
And if the private company goes under guess who will have to bail them out.
Report abuse
ISLANDERS have been suggesting radical ways for the States to save millions of pounds in running the airport. Why don,t ISLANDERS suggest radical ways of making millions for the airport, i am sure there is someone out there who can come up with some ideas how the airport can make itself pay even if the states can’t
, oh by the way what are you paying them big fat wages for by the way, for you to come up with ideas!!!!
Report abuse
I expect that Serco would like the contract. The States could top up their daily takings if they were short.
Report abuse
They’ve already ruined the post office and Jersey Telecoms by denationalising, don’t let us have anymore unnessessary sell-offs.
Report abuse
this is ALL about slack and bad management…thousands spent on a lamp that could be bought for a few hundred is only the tip of the iceberg multiply incompetence by a few percentage points and that’s where the millions go….start firing the bad performers and watch productivity and efficiency increase before you very eyes..in the real world that’s what happens the civil service has become a govt within a govt…this notion that you can not get rid of people is complete madness,unsustainable and strangling the life out of the Taxpayer, the whole thing needs restructuring …the politicians need to be able to re arrange and be rid of crap performers …and no not pay them off…F*** them off.
Report abuse
Privatising the airport always sounds good in principle, but I wonder about how achievable such a move would be in practice. Many airports across the world are operated privately, and with governments wanting to balance budgets, selling airport/airline assets is now high on the agenda. There are good reasons to privatise – competition, efficiencies etc.
But the fact is that Jersey relies heavily on air travel, and I don’t think the States would be right to put it totally in private hands. It would be taking a large risk to put the airport outside the reach of the States and I can’t believe that politicians would accept an airport outside the political agenda – just look at their interest in the new ATC tower, bollards, parking charges, airline incentives…the list goes on.
A more business like approach to the management of the airport is best in my opinion, and I certainly feel that major steps have been taken in the last 5 or so years, but it would be wrong to privatise the airport completely. It is too small and too economically/socially important for it not to be owned by the public.
Report abuse
According to an under the clock article in tonight’s JEP. People are now being fined for stopping at the bus stop for less than a minute to pick up weary travellers.
The Airport is essential as a gateway for Jersey and should not be privatised.
The Management and politicians who govern the airport cannot even organise a short term free pickup point for residents. After getting a call on their mobile phone pick up their traveller relatives or friends quickly. All are being given tickets with the excuse of parking in a bus stop, another raid on innocent peoples pockets.
This shows all that is wrong with a greedy States department at the airport. Sack the lot and employee Managers who put people and good service first rather than thier huge ill-gotten wage packets, gold plated pensions and sad out of date ego’s in this case partly funded by ripping of island residents by unnecessary fines.What has minister responsible for the airport got to say Senator Paul Routier?
How is the airport corruption investigation going by the way ?
Davey West
Report abuse
Surely they were not parking, just picking up, they had not stopped and left the vehicle.
Report abuse
Zoro # 10 mentions slack and bad management -isn’t that an oxymoron? If there is slack and bad management, surely this effectively means there is no management. That’s par for the course in many States deaprtments – in my view they shouldn’t sell off the airport, they just need to control the purse strings in a better way. They need to employ managers who aspire to providing and excellent service to the public at the right price. They shouldn’t always take on those who are merley lining their pockets – reward shouldn’t only be financial, but through having the knowledge that they have done a good job in running an efficient and happy organistation.
Report abuse
4, roger wing,
You are correct, shareholders prevented us from having a decent Ferry years ago.
Report abuse
how about saving money by starting with the states members. Why not have those elected by the public for what they say. they have a term unpaid and if public think they stuck to their principles and get re elected then they can get a wage. should save a bit.
Report abuse