Easter back-up ferry is impossible, say Condor

The company said that a lack of available crew as well as regulatory barriers meant that it would be unable to lease the Normandie Express from Brittany Ferries over the busy bank holiday weekend.

Ministers from Jersey and Guernsey had asked Condor to consider leasing the vessel as a back-up to the Liberation, which was last week detained in Poole after ‘substantial deficiencies’ were detected by inspectors.

Ken Soar, Condor’s non-executive group director, said that a lack of crew was one issue which prevented the lease.