During my short visit on the Channel Island Jersey in January, I was flying to and from Jersey Airport for the second time of my aviation career. Connecting to and from London Gatwick Airport, here are my thoughts about one of the key transport hubs of the island to UK mainland and Europe.

 

Jersey Airport – Location & Transport

Jersey Airport is located on the East side of the island and is part of the city of Saint Peter. The capital of Jersey, Saint Helier, is some eight kilometers away.

If you are not a local, there are two major traveling options to get to and from the airport. First of all, there are very frequent bus services with bus number 15, which is connecting Jersey Airport with St Helier and St Aubin. One way adult fare is 2.30 GBP and the trip feels a bit lengthy. According to the airport’s website, a taxi to the capital is roughly 15 GBP with higher fare on night time, Sundays and holidays.

 

Arriving at Jersey Airport

Jersey Airport consists of two buildings. The historic looking one hosts the arrival facilities, while the check-in and departure looks more modern. They are connected by the gate area only. The arrivals area looks very clean and modern from inside and is just what you expect of a minor regional travel hub. The arrivals area also hosts a cafe and some rental car counters.

 

Departing from Jersey Airport

The check-in area features the typical British airport architecture. In January, the place was really empty, but it can become comparably crowded in summer, when there is holiday season in the popular vacation destination. The check-in area also hosts a cafe and features some pictures in display before you go through security (which was of course also very efficient during my visit).

In winter time, the key connections to Jersey airport are within Great Britain. In summer, however, there are more frequent connections to other European countries. The departure lounge after security is small, but charming. I was a bit disappointed about the duty free, as I expected lower prices on the Channel Islands. There are also some nice local produces like a Jersey Gin, which is really delicious.

 

Observation Deck and Gate Area

Due to the special taxation regulations on Jersey, the airport is strictly split between the departure lounge and the gate area. This means, once you are at the gate area, you cannot go back to departure lounge. There are even very clear and strict procedures if you miss your flight or if it is cancelled to avoid tax fraud.

Before you head to the gates, though, I highly recommend to take a left turn and go up to the observation deck area. It not only offering more seating than the the seating area downstairs, but also a lovely view around the airport area and parts of the coastline. On top of that, one wall features a nice gallery with paintings featuring planes and the airport’s history. You may either use a staircase or an elevator – the place was almost empty during my visit.

If you pass the doors you see in the first picture starts the gate area. Nothing too special – but from some of the places around you at least have some nice views of the planes and the apron area.

Not only British Airways passengers may use the British Airways Lounge Jersey Airport, which I already reviewed. Please note again that you cannot go from the executive lounge to the departure lounge – which especially means that you cannot taste some spirits like the Jersey Gin in the lounge first and purchase it thereafter – the gate area does not feature any adequate shopping possibility.

 

Jersey Airport – My View

On an island like Jersey, the airport is fit for purpose and not too bad. The split between departure area and gates is a bit strenous, but likely unavoidable. Apart from that, Jersey Airport is cute and charming and the local traffic situation is good as well.

 

Airports on Flyctory.com

Here are all other airport-related postings:

 

Lounge Reviews on Flyctory.com

Here are all Lounge Reviews on Flyctory.com: