Updates on aviation in the Channel Islands
Updates on aviation in the Channel Islands
CI Aviation looks back on the departure of G-ISLK, one year on from when it permanently left the Blue Islands fleet
G-ISLK was Blue Islands’ second ATR 72 to be delivered, arriving in October 2016. It was equipped with 68 seats in an all-economy configuration. The aircraft had previously operated for Air Dolomiti and later Asian Wings Airways until September 2016.
It was then repainted in the iconic purple Flybe livery and delivered to Blue Islands. Initially, the aircraft operated flights on behalf of Flybe until the airline’s collapse in 2020.
Image Credit Blue Islands
It then became the first aircraft to be repainted in the new Blue Islands livery following the airline’s relaunch. To celebrate the relaunch, it took part in a photoshoot around Jersey in July of that year.
G-ISLK resumed operating flights for Blue Islands and, over its lifetime, clocked up over 40,000 hours of flying – equivalent to more than 4.5 years in the sky. Curiously, the aircraft’s first flight was on the 29th February 2000, meaning it only ever technically celebrated six birthdays!
Image Credit Blue Islands
However, on Wednesday 22nd May 2024, it was scheduled for a ferry flight (a flight operated without passengers) to Monchengladbach, for routine scheduled maintenance. But, whilst cruising at 19,000ft over the English Channel, the aircraft made a 180-degree turn, began a descent, and squawked 7700 (a transponder code used to indicate an emergency). It ultimately ended up diverting to Exeter, where the reason for the emergency was later revealed to be a problem with a heating element in one of its windscreens. Their the aircraft was withdrawn from use.
It remained on the ground in Exeter for just over a month whilst undergoing repairs to restore it to an airworthy condition. Then, on the 30th June, the aircraft flew to Cranfield with the callsign ‘BCI69LK’. As it turned out, the 24-year-old (or six-year-old) aircraft had been sold, and the positioning flight to Cranfield would be its last.
The new owners, Executive Jet Support Ltd, had purchased the aircraft for spare parts, meaning it would be scrapped and broken up. G-ISLK is set to be replaced by an ATR 72-600 later this month, which will be registered G-ISLP, the next in the G-ISL* naming series.
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