BRITTANY Ferries has moved to take a larger stake in Condor in a deal the French firm says demonstrates its “commitment” to the Channel Islands.
Brittany Ferries chief executive Christophe Mathieu announced that his company – which has been a minority shareholder in Condor Ferries until this point – intended to become a majority shareholder over the next few weeks.
The deal is subject to regulatory approval from authorities in both bailiwicks.
The French ferry operator is vying with Danish shipping firm DFDS to win the new contract to run the Channel Islands’ passenger and freight services.
Mr Mathieu, who replaced John Napton as Condor’s chief executive on an interim basis earlier this year, said: “Brittany Ferries has the experience, expertise and scale, along with extensive knowledge of the transport sector and customer service, to implement best practices, which ultimately will result in a better service for Condor’s passengers.
“This change demonstrates our commitment to the islands, shows Brittany Ferries is adding strength and depth to the existing team and delivers continuity and resilience in the long term.”
The chief executive added: “We believe we operate exactly the right fleet for the Islands: a mix of conventional freight and passenger ferries for lifeline freight and travel for Islanders, alongside the high-speed vessels that are essential for supporting the visitor economies of Jersey and Guernsey.”
Mr Mathieu previously indicated that Brittany Ferries would become “far more involved” with the Channel Islands, adding that larger vessels could be used in the islands – berthing trials were carried out with the 151-metre Bretagne in May.
Meanwhile, the 163-metre-long cargo ship DFDS Finlandia Seaways – the largest vessel ever to berth in Jersey – was trialled in December last year.
As part of its bid, Brittany Ferries announced that it would also be exploring “design and technical requirements” for a 137m zero-emissions craft, while DFDS has unveiled plans for a hybrid-electric ferry.
Brittany Ferries was conceived in 1972, starting life as a freight-only ferry-service between Plymouth and the Breton port of Roscoff in January of the following year.
