Majority of people on IOM not satisfied with travel options

New survey reveals less than 20% satisfied with reliability and cost of services

The majority of people on the Isle of Man aren't satisfied with the cost, reliability or choice of destinations by air or sea, according to a new survey.

It's been published by Island Global Research (IGR).

There were 756 people from the Island who took part in the survey, which was also carried out in Jersey and Guernsey.

It found less than 20 percent were satisfied with the reliability of services, as well as the cost of travel off-Island.

Respondents also said they didn't have a lot of confidence in future travel links, with only one in five feeling confident they'll meet the needs of residents, tourists and businesses.

There was also a notable drop in satisfaction in all aspects of off-Island travel links since the last survey in 2019.

The Isle of Man Airport has responded to some of the findings.

It says the cost of travel remains closely linked to wider economic factors.

It's also acknowledged that there continues to be some residual impact from the challenges experienced across the aviation sector in 2023.

However, the spokesperson says 'perception versus reality remains an important consideration', insisting performance has improved significantly.

It argues in 2025, only two percent of flights from the Isle of Man were cancelled compared with six percent in 2023, adding on-time performance improved from 69 percent to 78 in that same period.

During the summer months of last year, Isle of Man Airport was ranked third out of 25 airports in the UK and British Isles for punctuality, according to the Department of Infrastructure.

However, it recognises there is more to be done around routes and connectivity, insisting it's committed to supporting the development of new routes and increasing the frequency of existing services.

Work is said to be ongoing with the Department for Enterprise and political representatives to drive progress in this area, and government remains optimistic about opportunities for sustainable growth.

Finally, it says it's important to recognise that airlines, not airports, bear the financial risk of operating routes, and that, unless services are supported or subsidised, airlines will understandably prioritise routes that are commercially viable and capable of delivering sustainable returns.

A spokesperson from the Isle of Man Steam Packet says: "The company acknowledges the results of this survey, and that reliability, affordability and choice of routes remain vitally important concerns for residents and businesses across the Island.

"The company is dedicated to making improvements across all areas of the business, based on the feedback of our customers and island residents provided through regular surveys, the company’s Trustpilot account and other sources.

"In particular the company has implemented an ongoing strategic pricing initiative to make ferry travel more affordable, is introducing new routes and schedules, and started the process of investing in a new, dedicated Liverpool Ferry - for which over 4,000 respondents have provided their input.

"In 2025, the company carried 682,097 passengers, an 8.2% increase on 2024, including 69,019 children who travelled for free, and transported 203,319 vehicles, up 4.2% on the previous year, across 2,144 sailings.

"As the company looks towards its 200th year, the focus remains on continuing to improve for all users."

You can find the survey in full here.