More details have been confirmed ahead of the switch from air to sea for outbound mail services.
Guernsey Post says the change is being made to make the service more “cost effective” and “sustainable”.
Our inbound mail already arrives by boat, and from 6 July all outbound mail will also be sent by sea.
GPL said customers in Guernsey will experience minimal difference, but mail will take around 24 hours longer to arrive in the island.
It’s been understood the change will impact on staff hours too, although that is still being addressed.
The move was announced in March this year, just a year after the utility had announced that in-bound post would arrive by ferry, and out-bound post would continue going by plane.
That’s after the previous mail plane service was cut by Royal Mail two years ago.
The move also aligns Guernsey with Jersey, where the mail arrives and leaves by sea.
The company has introduced a special urgent option using “a scheduled Aurigny flight” that it says will “carry letters, documents, and medical samples up to 750g, and connect directly into Royal Mail’s network”.
It is also introducing a “tracked option” which covers letters, large letters, and parcels up to 2kg, which Guernsey Post says gives “customers more choice in how they send items to the UK.”
Pictured: As part of the announcement, Guernsey Post have provided a breakdown of how their outbound mail service is expected to change.
Guernsey Post said: “It will be priced to provide a competitive alternative to next-day courier services,” and will start as a three-month trial, but has the “potential to become permanent subject to customer demand.”
GPL also said that the full details of the service, including pricing, will be available on its website from next Wednesday.
Steve Sheridan, Chief Executive of Guernsey Post, said that by moving from air to sea transportation, and aligning outbound with inbound mail, “customers will see minimal difference, while helping ensure a financially sustainable service for the future.”
He added that it “allows us to introduce better-value options, including our new Tracked service, which offers a lower price than standard mail on some weight steps, along with the reassurance of tracking”.