An MHK wants to reignite the debate on whether the Isle of Man should have its own national airline.

Martyn Perkins made the call after it was revealed that Guernsey’s state-owned airline, Aurigny, could launch more services from the Isle of Man, with Manx government support.

Mr Perkins said: ’The time has come where it is vital for the island to have a look at our strategic air links and prepare for the future.

’The Council of Ministers should undertake a full comparative evaluation of subsidising other airlines against the costs and benefits of a Manx-owned carrier.’

The Garff MHK wants to see an airline with the Manx three legs in its livery - reminiscent of the days of Manx Airlines, which was a privately-owned airline bought by British Airways in 2001.

He said Manx livery would serve to restore a sense of pride and act as a promotional tool for the island.

He said a state-owned airline would not bring in big profits but drew comparisons of a state-owned national airline with the government’s purchase of the Steam Packet.

’The airline would be operated completely for the benefit of the island,’ he said.

’Arguably if we had not owned the Steam Packet during the Covid 19 problem we would have seen a much-reduced sea service and the possible failure of the company.’

Mr Perkins wants an ’holistic’ approach to air services.

He said: ’If, as has happened in the past, a separate deal is reached for the patient transfer it will effectively take out 30,000 passengers per year on the Liverpool and Manchester routes - effectively prohibiting the formation of an island airline.

’The money for the patient fares and for underwriting any loss the service incurs would go straight off-island.’

He said that if the island had direct control of patient transfer flights it could solve the problem of patients having to wait up to five hours to fly home after an appointment.

Air crews and maintenance staff currently without work could be employed in a new airline and would pay Manx tax and national insurance as a result, he argued.

He said the island needed stability in its air services and said landing slots at key UK airports were currently available at low cost.

It was vital to have an air link with Dublin, he said, to ensure a direct route to the EU.

Mr Perkins said a national airline could have a knock-on benefit for the engineering sector.

’The island’s engineering and maintenance expertise we have may be lost and would probably not come back if we rely on carriers to service their aircraft here,’ he said.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle revealed last week that he had asked Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker and Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly to hold talks with the Guernsey airline Aurigny and it is believed the idea of a Ronaldsway-Gatwick service, with Manx government financial support, is one option.

Mr Quayle said the Manx government was looking for an airline to serve on routes that were viable before the Covid-19 crisis, which has had a disastrous impact on the airline industry.

With the collapse of Flybe, and easyJet and Aer Lingus yet to return to the island, the only operators flying into Ronaldsway are Aurigny and Loganair, which is serving Liverpool, Manchester and London City routes. The last of those routes is already subsidised by the Manx government.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan has previously said he was not keen on national airline but has said if a ’strong argument’ was put forward to have secure air travel via a whole share in an airline, the government would consider it.

Mr Perkins said: ’We have a window of opportunity to future-proof air links to the island. The open skies policy is not working.’