AURIGNY, the Guernsey Channel Islands based airline, and its sister company Anglo Normandy Aero Engineering, are to be purchased by the Crown Dependency following a 45-2 vote by the islands legislative assembly, called The States. The reason given is to safeguard the air routes to the UK following the BA pull-out from Gatwick (see ABTN 19 May in the archive). FLyBe, who also operate the route, have disputed the takeover. The airline is expected to carry more than 400,000 passengers in 2003, substantially up from the 345,000 last year. In an unrelated move Malcolm Couper, the former commercial director of City Flyer Express has joined the airline in a similar capacity. Malcolm has been involved in regional air transport for over 25 years. http://www.aurigny.com