Origins

Origins

Transport links between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland are of critical importance to the Isles of Scilly and its tourism dependent economy.  

In 2011 the Government decided not to fund a replacement ferry/freight vessel after 7 years of project planning.  As a result the existing ferry (35 years old at the time) had to have its operational life extended.  Around the same time British International Services ended the helicopter service between Penzance, St Marys and Tresco.  This left islanders dependent upon one fixed wing, weather vulnerable, air service from St Marys to the mainland for approximately 4 months of the year when no ferry operates.  

FRIST was created to help ensure a better understanding of islanders' transport needs and  lobby for an affordable long term solution that put the island community and its economy first. FRIST seeks no more and no less than the services received by comparable island communities elsewhere in the UK.

FRIST ceased active campaigning in 2021.

Since 2012 there have significant developments:

 2014.     The grass strip at Lands End Airport was upgraded to a hard asphalt runway in July 2014 under a project co-funded by the European Union.  St Mary's Quay was extended by 12 metres under a Government funded project costing somewhere in excess of £9 million.  

2016.  Tresco Estates announced its intended to restart the helicopter service from Penzance to St Marys and Tresco.  

2017.  Island Helicopters started a service from Lands End in 2017.  The service proved uneconomic and ended in 2018.  

2017.  Cornwall Council gave planning consent for Penzance Heliport but later withdrew it following an application for Judical Review by IOSSG.  An amended planning application was approved in Aug 2018.  

2021.  Tresco Estates opened Penzance Heliport in Feb 2021.

2021.  Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised £48.4 million in Levelling Up funding for replacement vessels for the IOS/Mainland routes.   This funding never fully materialized despite prolonged negotiations because of incompatibility between the aspirations of the the current operator and the IOS Council and the constraints of public procurement rules.  In 2023 the IOSSG announced it plan to fund new vessels itself and in 2024 Ministers formally withdrew the offer of public funding.  

2026.  The new IOSSG freight vessel 'Menawethan' was in transit to the UK from Vietnam and is expected to enter service later in 2026.  The Scillonian IV is due to enter service in 2027.