Hovertravel, the hovercraft service transporting passengers across the Solent, has issued a heartfelt apology for the series of delays that have affected its service over the past couple of weeks.
Managing Director, Neil Chapman, assured customers that the entire team recognises the inconvenience even minor delays can cause, acknowledging the company’s failure to provide a consistent service on several days.
Factors impacting timeliness
There were two primary factors cited for the recent inconsistencies in the On Time Performance (OTP) of the service.
The first involved unexpected and unplanned maintenance with one of their hovercrafts. This left the service unable to swap crafts, preventing them from maintaining the usual punctuality of the service.
In addition, a significant increase in the volume of passengers has lengthened the time taken to board and disembark from the craft.
Operational enhancements
However, Hovertravel is set to make a return to normalcy, with both hovercrafts now fully operational.
The Managing Director commends the engineering team for their diligent work, assuring that with both crafts available, the timetable will be better supported.
The operations team, according to the Neil, is fully focused on enhancing the OTP. Duty Managers are introducing specific measures to cope with the expected increase in demand for the forthcoming Isle of Wight Festival weekend.
Continuous commitment
In conclusion, customers are reassured of the unwavering commitment of the entire Hovertravel team towards delivering the best possible customer experience.
This commitment spans from engineers and pilots to the crew and ground teams, all working to ensure that the hovercraft service continues to provide a reliable and efficient means of travel across the Solent.
