Now owned by CMA CGM, the logo change marks a new chapter in the history of La Méridionale and follows the order of two new ships.
The partnership between Brittany Ferries and the CMA CGM Group has taken a new major step forward with the first loading of CMA CGM containers.
Loaded on special chassis and transported aboard COTENTIN, they left Le Havre for Portsmouth on Wednesday 12 January.
Concluded in September 2021, the commercial partnership between CMA CGM and Brittany Ferries creates complementarities between the two companies, between the maritime transport of passengers and freight, and will allow, based on the respective expertise of the CMA CGM Group and Brittany Ferries, the development of cross-Channel maritime transport and consolidation of France’s place in this sector.
Alliance between two iconic French companies with far-reaching possibilities and synergies:
- CMA CGM has agreed to make a €25 million investment in Brittany Ferries, including €10 million in quasi-equity. Through this agreement, CMA CGM is seeking to support Brittany Ferries’ post-Covid-19 recovery.
- The partnership will help to unlock synergies.
- A representative of the CMA CGM Group will join Brittany Ferries’ Supervisory Board.
- Commercial partnership: CMA CGM can use available cargo space on board Brittany Ferries’ services to the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula. (faster cargo flows than with containers)
- The transportation of goods aboard Brittany Ferries ships will help expand the CMA CGM Group’s offering in the roro sector for the Atlantic and northern coast of France to destinations in the United Kingdom.
- Brittany Ferries will gain more expertise in modern freight and logistics needs. (multimodal).
- New roro services will be created.
- CMA CGM has since many years roro operations between Marseille and the Maghreb. See on their website for more information.
With more than 500 vessels, CMA CGM Group offers a combined capacity of 3 million TEUs.
After Maersk and MSC (*), it is the third largest container group.
(*) MSC Group owns ferry companies GNV and SNAV
CMA CGM starts a new regular roro shortsea Med service connecting Marseille – Barcelona – Casablanca on August 24.
1 RoRo vessel: AKNOUL – 1,200 lane metres
Rotation: 7d – Marseille/Barcelona/Casablanca/Marseille
Frequency: Weekly
Transit times: Marseille > Casablanca in 3 days | Barcelona > Casablanca in 2 days | Casablanca > Marseille in 2.5 days
Advertised as “best transit times in this market” and “50% less CO2 compared to road transport via short ferry routes.”