Chief Minister Howard Quale has said he is ’sure’ the island’s open skies policy will be reviewed in the next two years.

Mr Quayle was asked by Chris Thomas (Douglas South) whether the island’s air routes, services and links are meeting social and economic needs.

Former policy and reform minister Mr Thomas also asked Mr Quayle for a statement on the open skies policy and any additional plans for government involvement in air routes, services and links.

The open skies policy means the island has a free market in air services and there is no obligation for any airline to maintain a minimum service.

In principle, it should mean greater competition for the island’s routes, resulting in cheaper fares for residents. However it also presents the risk that airlines can just decide to drop the island off its schedule.

Mr Quayle said: ’Isle of Man Government has remained supportive of "Open Skies" since 1992 and there has been many reviews of the situation during that time.

’All the airlines operating into our airport support open skies, which is both UK and European policy.

’I am sure that this will be reviewed again over the next 18 to 24 months however at this moment in time, our current priority is ensuring we have sufficient air services for the dynamic situation we face during this coronavirus period.’

Since the borders were closed in March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic there has been a limited air service provision, supported by government, to ensure that there was continuity of the Patient Transfer Service for vital health treatments.

This has also allowed the ability to keep connection to London for potential key workers and the ability to fly stocks of PPE to the island.

The Manx Independent asked the government to confirm what level of support it had provided to Loganair, which has been running the island’s only air links, but at the time of going to press, we had not received a reply.

Islanders can now travel on and off island with greater ease than at any time since March, but those returning must still isolate at home for 14 days after they arrive home and need a permit from the government to do so.

Mr Quayle also reiterated that he does not expect the government to financially involve itself in an airline or aircraft given the fragile finances currently experienced by airlines.

Guernsey’s tax payer owned airline Aurigny was predicted last year to record losses of £9.6m in 2020 before the pandemic hit.