Brittany Ferries celebrates a milestone first year of operations in Guernsey, as it sets its sights on further growth and development in the years ahead.
The French ferry operator has delivered significant progress since securing a 15-year contract with the States of Guernsey and launching services exactly a year ago. Overall passenger figures have risen by 29% compared with 2024, whilst the company’s share of the Channel Islands’ market from France and the UK by sea reached 52% in February.
Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries’ CEO, commented:
“Brittany Ferries exists to connect people, facilitate trade and enrich the regions we serve. At the start of this new era, we made a clear commitment that the Island will be put first, services will improve and benefits felt by all.
“Our Channel Islands’ business has seen wholesale changes over the past year in terms of ownership, philosophy and the business model. It’s not just the rebranding of the Condor ships – we are new owners, with different aims, fresh thinking and a strong skill set.
“Operations have been enhanced, our timetabling is smarter and reliability and timekeeping have improved significantly. These are delivering benefits for Guernsey and the continued strong forward bookings underline growing consumer confidence.”
The integration of Condor into the Brittany Ferries’ brand has seen vessels serving the Island now carrying Brittany Ferries’ livery, while port signage, crew uniforms and operational systems have been aligned. New management structures, staff training programmes and ways of working have also been introduced.
The company recently concluded an agreement to market Islands Unlimited’s sailings to Jersey and further plans to link Guernsey with Herm, Sark and Alderney through similar arrangements with the local ferry operators.
Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, President of the Committee for Economic Development, States of Guernsey, said:
“A year ago, we began a new chapter with Brittany Ferries and the results have been outstanding. What started as a contractual agreement has flourished into a cross-government and cross-industry partnership and that is putting the Bailiwick of Guernsey on the map.
“From boosting visitor numbers and freight, to improving our cultural and sporting links, the joint efforts of Visit Guernsey, Guernsey Ports, the Guernsey Customs & Immigration Service, Heritage Guernsey, the Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders have all been a testament to what we can achieve together. This has never been about just improving travel links, rather we are building a long-term foundation for Bailiwick-wide prosperity.“
Mr Mathieu added:
“Whilst we are encouraged by this progress, there is more to do. We continue to leverage the Brittany Ferries’ brand and are working closely with the States of Guernsey, Visit Guernsey and industry partners to improve trade, sporting and cultural links. Islanders can also continue to benefit from our wider network, as we are offering 30% savings when booked alongside a Condor service. This includes our destinations in Spain – to Santander and Bilbao – and Cork and Rosslare in Ireland, building on the initiative first introduced in 2024.”
