Paul Luxon said that Condor had consistently striven for 53 years to provide sustainable transport links and would continue to do so, adding that it had been prepared to risk losing more than £100,000 to try to make a new day-trip service work.
Over the summer, 55,000 passengers travelled between the islands by sea.
Mr Luxon made the pledge to carry on trying to develop services between Jersey and Guernsey after a scheme which Condor first floated and championed to create a new day-trip service between the islands using a smaller, specially charted vessel foundered at the last minute. The initiative was abandoned after the States of Guernsey decided that they were unable to proceed. The Economic Development Department in Jersey have said that they are still committed to finding a viable solution.
Mr Luxon said: ‘The much-reported inter-island ferry trial which is now subject to a States expression of interest had its origins as a Condor initiative when the company proposed a service in early spring 2017 to the politicians in each island with responsibility for economic development.
‘The trial would have boosted travel options this summer in co-operation with the States of Jersey’s Economic Development Department and Guernsey’s Committee for Economic Development.
‘Condor had agreed to provide a six-figure underwrite sum for this, on a par with contributions from the States of Guernsey and States of Jersey, and would have launched services on 28 May 2017.
‘The proposal, however, foundered at the last minute, as the States of Guernsey was unfortunately unable to proceed.’
He added: ‘We fully recognise the importance of inter-island travel and include day-trip options within our current schedule, although a dedicated, daily service has not proved to be viable in the past. Condor’s timetable supports many key sporting fixtures, which include scheduling bespoke sailings for the Muratti, Siam Cup and Junior Siam, plus smaller events, and we offer discounted rates to sporting groups.
‘Over the past year or so, we have been proactive in consulting with the Guernsey Sports Commission and Jersey Sports Council in trying to agree sports-cluster weekend dates and have recently engaged with the new Jersey Sports Commission head to revisit this exercise.
‘This is to determine how Condor can play its part, along with the airlines, to offer transport services between the islands.’
