BRITTANY Ferries say they are “surprised and disappointed” by the Jersey government’s offer of a seven-month extension to Condor’s ferry contract and plans to launch a new ferry tender.
In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of Brittany Ferries and Condor, claimed that they had not received “formal notification” of these developments, and were now seeking “clarification” of the extension request and details of “the new Jersey-only tender”.
He said: “Following media reports yesterday that the Government of Jersey plans to launch a new tender and has requested a short term extension of our current operating agreement, Brittany Ferries is both surprised and disappointed by this development.
“Over the past nine months, Brittany Ferries has invested considerable resources in the process, providing extensive information to assist Jersey’s government in reaching a decision. “We firmly believe that this is comprehensive and sufficient for concluding the existing process.”
Mr Mathieu added that Brittany Ferries had also written to the Jersey and Guernsey governments asking for further clarification on key aspects of the current process “as a matter of urgency”.
Brittany Ferries, Condor’s owner, is vying with Danish company DFDS to be picked for Jersey’s long-term lifeline contract. Guernsey last week picked Brittany Ferries as its preferred bidder.
