More than 100 people have already inquired about travelling the new ’air bridge’ between the island and Guernsey, says the boss of the travel business organising the ’pioneering’ holidays.

Commercial flights, operated by Guernsey States-owned airline Aurigny, will start next month for an initial six-week period.

Brian Kelly, chairman of the Online Regional Travel Group which includes Mann Link and Richmond Travel in the island, said the company had been busy dealing with inquiries and pre-registration.

Further details of pricing and the schedules are expected to be announced tomorrow (Wednesday) or Thursday.

Mr Kelly told the Examiner: ’We have been inundated with inquiries from people in the island who want to play a part in this and be among the first people to fly this historic, pioneering and first domestic air bridge between two jurisdictions in the British Isles.’

He said it had been all systems go since Chief Minister Howard Quayle announced on Thursday that the governments of the Isle of Man and Guernsey have agreed to form an air bridge allowing travel between the jurisdictions without the need for self-isolating on arrival.

Mr Quayle said it was a ’major milestone’ and reflects how well both communities have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Kelly said: ’We are getting a lot of inquiries from people who want to travel to Guernsey. The Guernsey Bailiwick also includes Alderney, Sark and Herm and there is free movement between these islands and some people are expressing an interest in going to these other islands.’

Mr Kelly said: ’We only got confirmation of the air bridge at 4pm on Thursday so it has been a busy weekend.’

The first flights are anticipated to start on Wednesday, July 22, and flights will continue between the two crown dependencies on Wednesdays and Sundays until August 30.

He said if the demand is there then there is the option to extend into September.

Mr Kelly said his business also has an established travel operation in Guernsey called Wayfarers World Travel.

’We know Guernsey really well and we work directly with Aurigny.’

He said that behind the scenes they have been lobbying the two governments with the aim of establishing a safe air bridge for the last month.

Gavin St Pier, Chief Minister of Guernsey, said he was ’certain our community will welcome it enormously’.

He added: ’I hope to be able to make the most of the air bridge and pay a visit to the Isle of Man myself this summer. And I know our community will be ready to give Manx visitors a very warm welcome to our islands.’

Some people have suggested that the two islands are similar but Mr Kelly said this was not the case and in fact the two jurisdictions were like ’chalk and cheese.’

He stressed that the whole exercise was being approached with caution.

A number of hotels and self-catering operations in Guernsey were being lined up.