Representatives of the 2morrow Group met the transport authorities of both Jersey and Guernsey at Maritime House recently to discuss running a rival service to that of Condor Ferries.
Assistant Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean said that there would be nothing to stop a second operator coming on to the southern sea route.
The company could be operational as early as next March.
Deputy Maclean said that they were looking at a fast ferry that could do the crossing in an hour or a conventional vessel that would take 2 1/2 hours.
He said: ‘We have had preliminary discussions with the 2morrow Group, but there is a long way to go.
They came to see us at Maritime House and we met them with Deputy Carla McNulty of Guernsey’s External Transport Group.’ Last year Emeraude Ferries withdrew from the route, having lost millions of euros as a result of a battle for business with Condor.
Numbers travelling on the route have fallen sharply this year compared with last.
