Search Plane Fleet Briefly Grounded Amid Review

Channel Islands Air Search has confirmed its aircraft has been temporarily taken out of service because of an international air traffic issue.

The volunteer organisation said the problem is linked to its aircraft registration provider and follows a decision by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground hundreds of aircraft worldwide.

It said steps are already under way to move the aircraft’s registration to a different provider so operations can resume.

Coastguards and emergency services in both Guernsey and Jersey have been formally informed that the air search service is unavailable for the time being.

In a statement, the organisation said it understood the importance of its role in the islands and was working as quickly as possible within regulatory requirements to return the aircraft to service.

It added that further updates would be issued once more information becomes available and thanked its volunteers, emergency service partners and the wider community for their patience and support.