Manx2.com has called for Government to develop a long term aviation strategy for the Island.
The company has made the request following the announcement that UK airline easyJet will be servicing the Isle of Man.
Chairman Noel Hayes (pictured) said, "Manx2.com always welcomes fair competition and I’m sure the arrival of easyJet will bring short term benefits to the Isle of Man.
"However, I believe this highlights the need for Government to put in place a long term aviation strategy for our Island rather than the current ‘free for all’ open skies strategy which results in continuous instability and frequent changes in operators.
"In the last three years alone, five airlines have stopped operations into the Island. Stability of operations would encourage long term investment in route development and pay dividends.
"Currently, an airline comes to the Island, there is generally a price war and then one is pushed out, bringing us back to where we started or worse.
"easyJet’s arrival will certainly make FlyBe re-examine their prices but these scraps only last for a limited period. Manx2.com brought low fares to the Isle of Man four years ago and every day we have hundreds of seats on sale to Blackpool for just ?19.95, so the arrival of easyJet holds no fears.
"easyJet will only be indirectly competing with Manx2.com, but as a locally owned and locally based provider of Isle of Man air links, I believe the stability of a planned aviation strategy is essential for a community which depends upon maintenance of essential transport links."
Manx2.com experienced its best ever week for ticket sales this month and a record-breaking year in 2009, by carrying more than 100,000 passengers.
The company employs 60 staff and has a fleet of seven aircraft providing up to 30 flights a day to the Isle of Man. Its customer services, reservations and operations departments are all based in the new hangar facility at Ronaldsway Airport.
Manx2.com carries 100,000 passengers a year between the Isle of Man and Blackpool, Belfast, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, Newcastle, Gloucester and Jersey. It was recently voted the Island’s best small company for the second time in three years at the annual Isle of Man Newspapers Excellence Awards.
