Ferry firm reduces number of high-speed vessels

Red Funnel said Red Jet 4 was no longer commercially sustainable

Red Funnel has announced one of its three high-speed passenger ferries will not serve the cross-Solent route again.

Isle of Wight ferry Red Jet 4 is now 20 years old and is “not due to return to passenger service” because of “economical” concerns.

Both the Red Jet passenger vessels and car ferries operated by Red Funnel have suffered cancellations and delays in recent months.

Red Funnel CEO Fran Collins revealed the news in an open letter to customers, which apologised for “service disruption and cancelling crossings”.

Red Funnel was forced to suspend the Red Jet service between Southampton and Cowes on Saturday due to "an unexpected technical issue".

A replacement service from Monday saw journey times extended to 50 minutes.

Ms Collins wrote: “We are sorry that our service has not performed as well as we would like over the last couple of months.”

She revealed there had been a "near 30% drop" in passengers since 2019, which together with “rising overheads”, made Red Jet 4 unsustainable.

While Red Jet 6 is still operational, Red Jet 7 is undergoing repairs to its propulsion system – with the company aiming to have it back in service “within days”.

Ms Collins said the priority was to work on Red Jet 6 and 7 to ensure the reliability and punctuality of the service.

Ms Collins said that January and February were particularly “challenging months for service disruptions” due to weather-related cancellations and mechanical setbacks.

Staffing has also been an issue for the company.

This announcement comes after the resignation of eight directors at the company, as well as frequent disruptions to services.

Ms Collins added: “We are well underway in progressing our vehicle ferry fleet replacement programme.

“Two of our vessels hit the 30-year mark in 2024, and the ultimate solution to improving the reliability of our service is to replace them with modern, more sustainable vessels.”

Passengers are still being urged to check online timetables before travelling.