Tag

Brittany Ferries

Jul 30
Love0

FERRY SHIPPING

By 2020 Newsletter week 31

Brittany Ferries: New Route and More Capacity on Ireland

  • New Rosslare – Cherbourg route to open in March 2021. Irish and French hauliers have asked Brittany Ferries to move the weekly French rotation from Roscoff to the transport hub of Cherbourg.
  • Earlier this year Brittany Ferries started Rosslare – Bilbao (instead of Cork – Santander) and Rosslare – Roscoff (instead of Cork – Roscoff).
  • Additional mid-week sailing added to Cork – Roscoff service (mainly tourist market)
  • The new sailings will also see the utilisation of the CONNEMARA (for Rosslare) and the ARMORIQUE (for Cork). The ARMORIQUE is new to Ireland. The PONT-AVEN will continue to serve the main Cork – Roscoff sailings at the weekend.
Jun 25
Love0

FERRY SHIPPING

By 2020 Newsletter week 26

Brittany Ferries And Somanor Confirm Termination Of Honfleur Shipbuilding Contract

Somanor SAS (a semi-public company bringing together the Normandy Region, and the Calvados and Manche Departments), and Brittany Ferries have confirmed the termination of the construction contract for Honfleur with the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard. (17 June 2020)

The vessel has been under construction in Flensburg, Germany, since 2017. HONFLEUR was originally scheduled to enter service in June 2019, but delivery of the vessel has been postponed several times due to persistent financial problems encountered by the yard’s management.

The change of main shareholder in September 2019, with the arrival of Lars Windhorst and the Tennor group, did not allow the yard to return to growth and competitiveness.

With the surprise announcement that the yard was placed under the protection of the Commercial Court in May 2020, and unsuccessful discussions with the current management of FSG and its main creditors, Somanor and Brittany Ferries, the backers of HONFLEUR, acknowledged that they had lost confidence in the yard’s ability to complete the vessel within a reasonable period of time.

May 28
Love0

IN THE MEDIA

By 2020 Newsletter week 22

‘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.

May 07
Love2

FERRY FINANCE

By 2020 Newsletter week 19

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

Mar 19
Love1

Brittany Ferries

By 2020 Newsletter week 12

Brittany Ferries has reshuffled its fleet and routes.

  • NORMANDIE (Portsmouth – Caen) will be taken out of service until 9 April at the earliest.
  • CONNEMARA (Portsmouth – Bilbao), MONT ST MICHEL (Portsmouth – Caen), CAP FINISTÈRE (UK – Spain) freight only.
  • Brittany Ferries will cease its weekly rotation connecting Roscoff in France with Rosslare in Ireland. KERRY will however continue two rotations per week, carrying freight between Rosslare and Bilbao.
  • ETRETAT (Portsmouth – Le Havre) has been taken out of service on 17 March. Laid up Le Havre.
  • Following her dry-dock in Poland, PONT-AVEN did not return to service as planned. She’s laid up in Le Havre until at least 9 April 2020.
  • Ro-Ro PELICAN, linking Bilbao with Poole will take only unaccompanied trailers.

Additional measures:

  • Passengers and freight drivers will be asked to remain in their cabins. Cabins will be open to all travellers.
  • Sales and catering facilities will be closed on board. Passenger movements will be restricted and meals will be taken in cabins. Customers will be informed by SMS that they will have to stay in their cabins and that the on-board shops will be closed.
  • Passengers will be asked to bring their own food and drink on board. This is to protect everyone on board – including Brittany Ferries crews who are working hard to maintain services for as long as possible.
  • All passengers are advised that they must travel only if it is essential to do so. Furthermore British passengers travelling to Spain are advised that they must take evidence of a permanent address in Spain, or they will be stopped after arrival by the authorities.

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.

Mar 12
Love0

Christophe Mathieu, CEO Brittany Ferries, Announces Completion of Condor Ferries Deal

By 2020 Newsletter week 11

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.

Mar 06
Love0

Brittany Ferries Started Service from Rosslare to Bilbao

By 2020 Newsletter week 10

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.