‘Illegal’ £35m State Aid For Ferries Faces Legal Challenge (writes The Telegraph)
CLdN is seeking a judicial review of Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ decision to hand the £35 million to passenger operators Brittany Ferries, DFDS, Eurotunnel, P&O, Seatruck and Stena.
Brittany Ferries Goes on with the Planned Investments, in Spite Of Challenging Year
At its General Assembly on May 5, Brittany Ferries recalled that tourism is part of its DNA and stressed its major economic contribution to the regions it serves. Chairman Jean-Marc Roué recalled that the history of Brittany Ferries is intrinsically linked to that of the regions it has served, since its foundation. He also said that 2020 will be a challenging year. However, investments will go on as planned:
GALICIA (UK – Spain) to be delivered in July, in service in November
HONFLEUR (France – UK) delayed due to problems of yard in Flensburg
SALAMANCA (UK – Spain) keel laid in April 2020
SANTOñA (UK – Spain) 2023
Before the crisis, the company operated 12 ships on 12 routes, linking France, UK, Ireland and Spain.
Since March 19, BF only transports goods, with 5 ships on Caen-Portsmouth, Cherbourg-Portsmouth, Santander-Portsmouth, Bilbao-Poole and Bilbao-Rosslare.
Key figures for 2019
Revenue EUR 469 million
Passengers 2.49 million (-4.9%)
Cars 866,000 (-5%)
Freight 202,000 (-1.9%)
Brexit with its uncertainty and repeated delays are the main cause for the trend
“We’ve acted in the best interests of passengers and our colleagues. Our priority, of course, is the safety and well-being of passengers, crew, shore-side staff, suppliers, as well as the communities we serve across four countries.”
Brittany Ferries has reshuffled its fleet and routes.
Additional measures:
Brittany Ferries employs French crew. The company said it had to prepare for the non-availability of crew members because of illness or the need to take care of relatives at home.
Brittany Ferries is now officially the part-owner of Condor Ferries. The deal, announced last year, had been subject to scrutiny by competition authorities. But following their green light at the end of January, and work to complete the transition in February, the sale has now been finalised.
“This is excellent news for Brittany Ferries, our new partners and for Condor Ferries,” said Christophe Mathieu, CEO Brittany Ferries. “We are committed to working closely in the months and years to come to ensure the best level of service to customers and support to our friends and colleagues in the Channel Islands. This will be business as usual for Condor, but within a new ownership structure.”
Brittany Ferries is the minority shareholder in the company. Last November, Columbia Threadneedle European Sustainable Infrastructure Fund (ESIF) and Brittany Ferries reached an agreement with Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (“MIRA”) for the acquisition of 100 percent of Condor Ferries
Condor Ferries is an operator of lifeline freight and passenger ferry services. Each year, Condor Ferries carries approximately 1 million passengers, 200,000 passenger vehicles, and over 900,000 freight lane meters between Guernsey, Jersey, the United Kingdom, and the Port of St Malo in France.
As planned, ropax KERRY set sail for the first time from Rosslare to Bilbao on 28 February.
There will be 2 weekly roundtrips between Rosslare-Bilbao throughout the year, and an additional crossing between Rosslare-Roscoff during high season.
Rosslare-Bilbao replaces Cork-Santander as key freight route to Europe. The change is in response to demand from Irish and continental hauliers.
Brittany Ferries will still use Cork for its passenger service to Roscoff, France. Cruise-ferry PONT-AVEN will serve this route.
Brittany Ferries is going to become a rail operator too. The idea is to launch a freight train connecting Bayonne, close to the Spanish border, and Cherbourg. From there on, freight can be transferred to ferries, bound for Ireland or the UK.
Brittany Ferries has several strategic reasons:
Ports de Normandie has an ambitious strategy too:
Brittany Ferries will finance the new rail terminal in Bayonne and a fleet of LOHR railway wagons. The LOHR railway wagon has been lowered and articulated and as a result allows for fast and safe transfer of semitrailers.
In Saint-Malo, Brittany Ferries has moved its offices from ‘Gare Maritime de la Bourse’ (ferry terminal) to Parc Atalante, some 7km south.
New offices have been built, with a surface of almost 1,000m2.
The building includes a training center:
‘Brittany Ferries Atalante’ has been officially opened on 7 February. Present were, amongst others, Jean-Yves Le Drian, minister of European and Foreign Affairs, and Amélie de Montchalin, his secretary of state.
Cyprus-Greece Passenger Ferry Still a Long Way to Go
The government’s proposal to re-establish a long-defunct car and passenger ferry service to Greece from Cyprus by the summer of 2020 is being implemented step by step, but there is still a long way to go, Phileleftheros reports citing insiders.