Inter-Island Passenger Numbers Fall Over the Past Decade

The number of people travelling between the Channel Islands has fallen significantly over the past decade, according to newly released figures.

Responding to a written question, Kirsten Morel said passenger numbers travelling between Jersey and Guernsey by both sea and air have declined between 2016 and 2025.

In 2016, a total of 76,004 passengers travelled by sea between the islands, while 103,056 made the journey by air. By 2025 those figures had dropped to 53,789 sea passengers and 67,900 air travellers.

The minister noted that older sea passenger data included travellers who were not necessarily making a direct inter-island journey. Before the introduction of the DFDS service, ferry passengers travelling from Guernsey to Saint-Malo often passed through Jersey.

These travellers had to disembark in Jersey to enter the Common Travel Area before continuing their journey, meaning they were recorded within the inter-island totals.

As a result, Morel said historical sea passenger figures included both transit passengers and those travelling directly between Jersey and Guernsey.

The highest number of sea passengers travelling between the islands in recent years was recorded in 2024, when 92,091 people made the crossing. Air travel peaked earlier, with 104,489 passengers recorded in 2019.

Both routes saw a dramatic fall during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions were introduced. In 2020, just 4,609 passengers travelled by sea and 17,742 by air between the islands.

The figures were provided in response to a written question submitted on 23 February and answered on 2 March.