In a letter to customers yesterday, Paul Luxon, the company’s chief executive, said
that passenger numbers had not returned to ‘anything like normal
levels’ due to border and travel restrictions which still apply in the Channel Islands.
He added that the recent implementation of a mandatory five-day quarantine period for all travellers arriving in Jersey from France was the latest blow to the company, as it had caused a drop in bookings and an increase in cancellations.
Mr Luxon also said that the company had been unable to run its once-weekly cargo services to St Malo for the past two months due to a lack of freight-handling services at the Britanny Port.
This follows industrial action in the city by redundant stevedores who vowed to stop any ferry from offloading in the port until all 32 employers had their roles reinstated.
The stevedores’ action forced Condor to cancel sailings to St Malo for two weeks just as the Island’s borders reopened last month.
In a statement, Mr Luxon said: ‘The impact of Covid-19 on our business over the past five months has been severe. We received no revenue from our
passenger services at all between March and
early July and freight volumes have also been
down by a third over the period, and at its worst, by 40%. The overall effect has been a 75% reduction in income.
‘As a consequence, we have had to initiate a number of operational and financial measures to protect our future. This included, sadly, a resizing of the business so our workforce has reduced significantly, mainly in the UK and France.
‘A review of the frequency of our passenger sailings is also being carried out which reflects the reality of significantly reduced demand across all routes.’
He added: ‘Travel advice and regulations are also constantly changing so the recent decision to introduce a five-day quarantine in Jersey on arrivals from France has had an immediate and profound effect on bookings. We hope the necessary and unavoidable need for these changes can be understood by the communities we serve.’
Condor is not the only maritime company to make cost-cutting measures as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Brittany Ferries, which owns a minority stake in Condor, has significantly cut its route network and mothballed two ships.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers has called for the UK, French and Channel Island governments to work together to draw up a rescue package for Condor staff.
‘The new owners, Brittany Ferries and Columbia Threadneedle, must step in and provide certainty for the future here,’ Mick Lynch, the union’s senior assistant general secretary said.
‘We call on the UK Shipping Minister, Kelly Tolhurst MP, to reach out to her counterpart in the French government and work with the Channel Island administrations to draw up a rescue package for Condor Ferries staff and passengers.’
