To lose the mail plane will have far-reaching consequences that go way beyond whether or not your latest Amazon purchase turns up on time, and yet its continued existence is perilous and I fear that many people just don’t understand what is at stake.

Alan Merry from Jersey Post was recently quoted in the JEP as saying, “…the potential loss of Jersey’s mail plane would have ‘very little impact’ on online shopping delivery times. The majority of parcels bought from websites such as Amazon arrive by boat and would therefore be unaffected by any change.” - Full report here.

This maybe true, but I fear that Mr Merry is making light of a situation that has bigger consequences to consider.

The freight plane is used as a vital line of connectivity to the mainland for things other than just mail. It is used to transport blood, organs and other medical equipment, domestic cats and dogs and other more exotic animals. It supports commercial entities that need to send physical documents and other cargo at short notice. I find Mr Merry’s comments rather naive and possibly even a cheap swipe at trying to deflect any level of blame.

I know that Deputy Morel has been speaking to some handlers involved, and I wonder where this will end up. - It is a step backwards if it is allowed to happen.

Picture credit: James Jeune - The Jersey Evening Post