Connectivity issues facing the Isle of Man were raised during the Chief Minister hustings after Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse asked candidates how they would address challenges facing air and sea travel.
Mr Moorhouse highlighted concerns among residents and businesses, pointing to uncertainty surrounding easyJet and potential industrial action involving Loganair.
He also asked candidates to address the role of airport passenger duty.
Long-standing Concern
Chris Thomas described travel to and from the island as a long-standing concern.
“For 30 years on and off island travel has been the worst thing about living on the Isle of Man,” he said.
Mr Thomas said the upcoming expiry of the government’s contract with Loganair presented an opportunity to review connectivity more broadly, including airport passenger duty, airline charges, airport operations and investment in services.
He also called for evidence-led discussions on both air and sea links, arguing that any public funding must be targeted carefully.
Mr Thomas added that government needed to consider the relationship between air services and the Steam Packet, warning that changes to one could have consequences for the other.
Number One Issue For Votes
Kirrie Jenkins said connectivity had repeatedly been raised by voters during the election campaign.
“I spoke to a lot of people who said that their number one issue was getting on and off the island,” she said.
Mrs Jenkins argued improvements were needed at the airport, including staffing, training, air traffic control and operational processes, saying the island needed to make it easier for airlines to operate routes to and from Ronaldsway.
She also suggested more could be done to fill empty seats on Steam Packet sailings during quieter periods, potentially by offering cheaper fares to attract additional visitors.
“Once somebody gets here, they absolutely love it. But getting them here is the big key,” she said.
Mrs Jenkins warned that connectivity issues were now having a wider impact, claiming some investors were deciding against relocating to the Isle of Man because of difficulties travelling to and from the island.
