Condor’s current contract was signed in 2014, at which time Senator Alan Maclean was the Economic Development Minister and had responsibility for Jersey’s sea links.
Since the new contract was signed, however, the ferry company has been dogged by setbacks and cancelled sailings and its new vessel, the £50 million Liberation, has suffered a string of technical issues since it entered service last year.
The difficulties Condor has faced has left many Islanders wondering whether the States should have done more to explore potential deals with other firms, but Senator Maclean said that at the time many ferry operators were struggling and reluctant to make the £300 million investment required to assemble a fleet to serve the Channel Islands.
