“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.
- 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.
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:
- Enhancing productivity by reducing the number of semi-tractors, creating more space for the trailer and thus augmenting the percentage of non-accompanied freight.
- Anticipating emission regulations by offering a service with a better environmental performance.
- Consolidation of its market position on the long routes to Spain and the British Isles.
Ports de Normandie has an ambitious strategy too:
- Making the ports ready for larger ferries
- Increasing its hinterland.
- Giving logistic answers to Brexit
- Creating multimodal services, as an alternative for or complimentary to road tarnsport
- Helping to make transport greener.
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:
- Education of crew for the use of LNG
- Education for certain jobs, such as security officer
- New firefighting techniques
- HR
‘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.
- “We sail in a constant fog,” says Brittany Ferries president Jean-Marc Roué, pointing towards the uncertainty after 31 December 2020.
- Bookings are down 5%. Customers on both sides of the Channel are hesitant.
- The Brittany Ferries plan to build a direct replacement for BRETAGNE is definitely remaining on hold.
Brittany Ferries: Rosslare – Bilbao replaces Cork – Santander as key freight route to Europe
Brittany Ferries has announced that it is to move its Ireland/Spain sailings from Cork to Rosslare Europort, with the first sailing due to take place on 28 February.
- The change is in response to demand from Irish and continental hauliers
- Company confirms ongoing commitment to Cork – Roscoff, which will continue to be primary tourism route, with 100,000 pax/year.
- New Rosslare services will include an Ireland-France rotation to Roscoff
- Rosslare sailings to commence 28 February 2020
- The new Spanish arrival port from Rosslare will be Bilbao
“This was not a decision we took lightly and follows extensive consultation with our freight customers who sought better road connections and reduced driving distances,” said Christophe Mathieu Brittany Ferries CEO. “We opened the route in 2018 with a two-year trial window. While passenger numbers have been encouraging, the reality is that freight numbers, which are key to route viability, were not sufficiently robust. However I want to make it clear that we remain committed to Cork, with our flagship PONT-AVEN cruise-ferry service to Roscoff.”
The Cork-Santander route which was launched in 2018 was primarily aimed at the freight market into Europe although it also carried holidaymakers, with an ‘économie’ no-frills onboard experience. The new route out of Rosslare will again concentrate on freight with an option for holidaymakers.
Why Rosslare – Bilbao?
The consensus among hauliers is that Rosslare, with its proximity to Dublin and the east coast road network, is a preferred option. Equally hauliers operating on the European mainland noted that Bilbao is more attuned to freight traffic and has easier transport links into Europe.
As with the current Cork-Santander sailings, the new Rosslare-Bilbao sailing will be twice-weekly and will incorporate a weekly Ireland/France rotation.
(Source: Brittany Ferries)
Condor Ferries CEO Welcomes the Expertise of the New Owners
See also our extra news flash from 14 November 2019.
Paul Luxon, Condor Ferries’ CEO, said in a statement that he is delighted with the agreement between the current shareholder, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, to sell its 100% interest in Condor Ferries to a consortium of Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the majority shareholder, and Brittany Ferries.
“The new shareholders wholeheartedly share our vision and strategy for maintaining and developing essential Channel Islands’ lifeline ferry services across the freight supply chain, Islander travel and tourism sectors. Having met with senior executives of CTI and BF on several occasions, the company welcomes such experience and expertise from the new shareholders and having introduced them to key stakeholders including politicians and senior civil servants, discussions on fleet replacement and future investment will continue.”
He added that Condor Ferries’ management and staff will continue to deliver the five-year business plan that is underway. “We will continue to focus on providing efficient and effective sea connectivity to support the Channel Islands’ economies”.
