Brittany Ferries to become majority shareholder of Condor Ferries
Brittany Ferries is set to assume majority ownership of Condor Ferries, subject to approval by the regulatory authorities in Jersey and Guernsey.
Condor Ferries, which operates passenger and freight services between the Poole and Portsmouth, the Channel Islands, and St Malo in France, was initially acquired in November 2019 by a consortium comprising Brittany Ferries and the London-based Columbia Threadneedle European Sustainable Infrastructure Fund.
Post approval, the French ferry operator Brittany Ferries will own 51 per cent of Condor Ferries, assuming operational control of the Channel Islands-based company in the next few weeks, with Columbia Threadneedle retaining a minority shareholding.
Brittany Ferries was founded in 1973 by Alexis Gourvennec, and operates a fleet of ferries between France and the UK, Ireland, and Spain.
Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries, said:
“We are pleased to confirm our intention to become the majority owner of Condor Ferries over the next few weeks, pending approval from the Islands’ regulatory authorities.
“Brittany Ferries has the experience, expertise, and scale, along with extensive knowledge of the transport sector and customer service, to implement best practices, which will ultimately result in better service for Condor’s passengers.
“This change demonstrates our commitment to the Islands, shows Brittany Ferries is adding strength and depth to the existing team and delivers continuity and resilience in the long term.
"We believe we operate exactly the right fleet for the Islands: a mix of conventional freight and passenger ferries for lifeline freight and travel for Islanders, alongside the high-speed vessels that are essential for supporting the visitor economies of Jersey and Guernsey.”
In January 2024, the Government of Jersey and the State of Guernsey confirmed a procurement process for a new long-term operating agreement. Brittany Ferries is actively leading this bid.
Justin Amey, Head of Sales and Marketing at Condor Ferries, commented:
"Condor Ferries has an unshakeable mission to provide the highest-quality service to our passengers, and we are constantly adapting and evolving to ensure that we do so, a mission shared wholeheartedly by Brittany Ferries.
"With the rise in demand for domestic and flight-free travel, we want to assure our customers that the new ownership structure will not impact our service.
“We look forward to working with new stakeholders and partners to continue in our mission of providing exceptional travel to our customers in 2024 and beyond.”
Justin Amey – Head of Sales and Marketing at Condor Ferries