Condor Ferries rejects Jersey contract extension

The company's contract will end at the end of March, the Government of Jersey has said

Condor Ferries has rejected a seven-month extension on its current freight and passenger contract to and from Jersey.

Deputy Kirsten Morel, the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, informed the States Assembly on Tuesday about the company's decision.

He said: "Condor has confirmed that it will not be accepting the invitation to extend the current operating agreement beyond March next year", adding that a new operating agreement would be put in place after March.

Condor owner Brittany Ferries confirmed it had declined the extension.

Companies have been invited to tender for services in both Jersey and Guernsey until 2040.

Guernsey has already chosen Brittany Ferries, the majority shareholder in Condor, but Jersey has yet to make a decision.

Millions of pounds

At the States meeting, Morel, who has been overseeing the tender process, said Condor had asked for more money to ensure it could continue providing a service until March if it was not successful in its bidding for the Jersey contract.

The minister said the money requested was in the region of millions of pounds.

He added that he would not enter any future ferry contract that required Jersey to pay for contingency vessels.

Currently Jersey and Guernsey pay hundreds of thousands a month for a standby ferry, which is based in the Isle of Man, to provide cover if there are problems with vessels in the Channel Islands.

DFDS approach

Morel told the BBC that he would now be approaching Danish firm DFDS to run ferry services to and from Jersey once Condor's contract ended.

He said: "I want to go and speak to DFDS about them being able to take bookings or expressions of interest bookings for tour operators from next year.

"That is something I am going to do because I know that is something the tourism industry would like."

The minister said this would only initially be on an interim basis until a provider had been agreed.

He added that Jersey's approach to DFDS could not be seen as the island seeing the firm as its preferred bidder.

Morel said: "It can't be taken that way but I do want our tourism industry to feel as though they can take bookings."

Robert Mackenzie, managing director of CI Travel Group, said: "I hope a ferry decision is expedited as quickly as possible, given the uncertainty for hospitality and other businesses in Jersey and Guernsey."

Brittany Ferries said it had no further comment on its declining the extension.