DFDS to bid for Channel Islands ferry contracts

DFDS says "it's always looking for new opportunities"

The BBC understands Danish ferry firm DFDS is preparing a bid to run the Channel Islands' sea links.

Guernsey and Jersey announced they are working together to secure long-term operating agreements for ferry links.

DFDS said it was "always looking for new opportunities and will consider submitting a bid when the tender is published".

Jersey has a contract with Condor Ferries to 2025, while Guernsey has a memorandum of understanding.

Condor 'confident'

Condor Ferries has said it was "confident" it would "prove that we continue to be the right operator".

The States of Guernsey refused to deny it was in talks with Condor Ferries to secure the island's sea links in December.

The Finlandia underwent berthing trials in Guernsey last year

At the end of 2023 the island's governments worked together on a berthing trial for the DFDS Finlandia Seaways.

Both governments said the trial was a success despite it making contact with Guernsey's harbour wall as it exited St Peter Port.

P&O Ferries refused to comment on whether it was preparing a bid for the routes.

While Wightlink ferries said the company was currently busy running services in the Isle of Wight.

Alf Baird is a former professor of maritime business at Napier University and used to advise the Scottish Government on ferry tenders.

He said: "DFDS is a major European transport and logistics organisation. It's a pan-European operation that doesn't particularly focus on island operations as its main focus is freight.

"The gap in their market is the western channel, so this would give them an area to exploit.

"I think a lot of ferry operators would be interested in the Channel Islands contract if it was tendered in a way that enabled them to bring in new ships."

Incumbent advantage

Mr Baird added that he believed the current operator Condor Ferries was likely to be in the best position to secure the contract in the Channel Islands.

"It's a major advantage, they have access to the local institutions, the main contacts - so an incumbent operator is always in the best position.

"Where Condor is lacking is that it's a single market operator, and this is where ferry operators like DFDS have the learning from a whole range of places and they also have the economies of scale that come with that."