Guernsey state airline Aurigny says it is still evaluating the viability of direct services to Ronaldsway returning next year.

The last flight on the Guernsey to Isle of Man airbridge takes off a week on Wednesday, September 16.

Flights have proved very popular with Manx holidaymakers and tourists from the Bailiwick.

The service launched on July 22 and that month carried 702 passengers - 336 travelling from Guernsey to Isle of Man and 366 from here to the Channel island.

Last month, that figure totalled 4,721 - 2,353 travelling from Guernsey to here and 2,368 flying from the Isle of Man to Guernsey.

Aurigny published its winter timetable last week but it includes no mention of the Isle of Man.

An Aurigny spokesman said: ’We are still evaluating the viability of direct services between the Isle of Man and Guernsey. The current season is ending on September 16, but that may change.

’I think there is a reasonably good chance that there will be direct services in future summer seasons, winter services are unlikely.’

Chief Minister Howard Quayle last month announced that a deal with Aurigny to provide more services could be ’imminent’.

He revealed the state-owned airline had offered to operate services between Ronaldway and Gatwick - and possibly other UK airports too.

Mr Quayle said that the Manx government was looking to do a deal with an airline to provide routes that were viable pre-Covid-19 but are no longer due to the pandemic, to ensure that air links are retained.

A report was discussed at last week’s Council of Ministers’ meeting.

Asked for an update at last week’s press briefing, Mr Quayle told reporters: ’There are three or four companies that have tendered for the contract going forward. We haven’t made a decision on that.

’The Infrastructure Minister will be advising us about that in the near future. Regarding an extension to the airbridge with Guernsey I’m more than happy for that to continue.

’It has been incredibly popular. If there’s an opportunity to extend it then of course we will.’

Aurigny’s chief executive Mark Darby is reported to have said that the impact of Covid-19 over the past six months has been ’catastrophic’, with passenger numbers between March and the end of August down 250,000 on the same period as last year, excluding the Isle of Man.