Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston says the island must ensure taxpayers’ money is spent supporting the “right routes for the right reasons”.
Speaking at Tynwald’s Economic Review Committee, Mr Johnston stressed that air connectivity is critical to the Isle of Man’s economic success.
“We know that when you’re speaking to businesses, when you’re speaking to potential investors, people who want to come and live here, air connectivity is fundamental,” he said.
Committee Chair Jason Moorhouse MHK raised concerns about reliability and cost.
Mr Johnston acknowledged the it is a “difficult” issue, but added that “the government’s not an airline, but clearly, we do have a responsibility to try and work with the providers and work with the airport team”.
Expectations
Andrew Stewart, Interim Chief Officer at the Department for Enterprise, acknowledged growing expectations for government involvement: “There is now a recognition that we need to step in and play a more active role than perhaps was envisaged several years ago.”
Asked whether airline support schemes had delivered value Mr Johnston said: “I think there’s probably quite a lot of misunderstanding.
“The scheme that we have is not about underwriting routes. It’s about supporting their growth.”
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