THE majority of cancelled sailings on DFDS’s Jersey routes have been due to bad weather, the Economic Development Minister told States Members yesterday as he provided information about how the ferry operator has performed since it started serving Islanders.
Responding to questions from Deputy Beatriz Porée, Deputy Gerald Voisin stated that between March 2025 and October this year DFDS operated 3,889 services – 97% of which were on time or had “minimal” delays.
Of the scheduled sailings cancelled over the period, 266 were attributed to weather conditions and 94 to technical or operational issues.
Deputy Voisin also said that DFDS had run 124 replacement sailings.
Responding to follow up questions about whether he would consider undertaking an assessment of the impact of cancellations and delays on the Island’s economy, the minister highlighted that “the majority of cancellations are done as a result of bad weather”.
He also noted an incident in which a fire broke out in the engine room on board one of DFDS’s cargo vessels, which he said “severely interrupted the service provided”.
“What I would say in DFDS’s defence is that they have put on a considerable number of additional sailings,” Deputy Voisin continued.
“So whilst it is unfortunate that passengers get disrupted, I think that DFDS have done a reasonable job in making sure that our freight, especially our food, gets to Jersey.”
The minister added that the ferry operator “should actually be given a pat on the back for making sure that our supermarkets were full of food after the recent storms”.
He said that, while he could talk to officers about doing an assessment, “these cancellations and delays are not voluntary”.
“They happen for a good reason. Sometimes it’s technical problems, but the majority it’s wind.”
