This is hardly the first storm the shipping company has had to weather. Arrivals from amber countries will need to take a pre-departure test, fill in a locator form, and quarantine at home for up to 10 days, with regular testing to see if they are free of the virus and can go out. The DfT also announced that from May 17, people who have had both doses of a coronavirus vaccine will be able to use the NHS app to demonstrate their status. After World War Two, the French region of Brittany became the open-air laboratory of production-oriented agriculture and Brittany Ferries has been responsible for exporting Breton agricultural products across the Channel. The United Kingdom is taking steps to help stop the spread of COVID-19. As many as 6,800 indirect and related jobs depend on the company, particularly in Brittany. Faced with the uncontrolled spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a total lockdown in the UK on Monday evening. By Lucie Duboua-Lorsch | EURACTIV France | translated by Daniel Eck, "Since 17 March, the company has been in resistance mode and has lost 50% of its turnover in 2020," Brittany Ferries Chairman Jean-Marc Roué explained. Brittany Ferries news and features. Falmouth-based digital agency expands with new members of staff. In addition to the doubts and uncertainties surrounding Brexit, the coronavirus crisis that shook the world last spring has added to the doubts and uncertainties, putting a brake on trade. I. On the Plymouth to Roscoff route passenger numbers sank from 328,133 to 78,445. From hard-hitting investigations to exclusive photojournalism, our FREE Weekend Report is sent to you every Saturday morning. In a non-Covid year, the company carries 2.5 million passengers, 85 percent of whom are British. Red-list countries have the strictest rules, with only UK or Irish nationals, or UK residents, allowed to return - and they must pay for a 10-day stay in a Government quarantine hotel. Then local fishermen blocked the entrance of its Coronouaille ship during its maiden voyage in the port of Roscoff. “Poor COVID refund polcy ... Kind regards Jane Customer Services Brittany Ferries. With about 80 percent of company income generated through passenger traffic the company said the effect travel restrictions had on turnover was “devastating”. Brittany Ferries has cancelled more services between the UK and France as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Brittany Ferries is known for connecting Spain and France, with routes to Roscoff and Santander. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your email address will not be published. BAI (Bretagne Angleterre Irlande) S.A. was founded by Alexis Gourvennec. Bienvenue Brittany Ferries France. In a year dominated by the Covid crisis and amid on-going Brexit concerns, 2020 passenger numbers fell to less than a … 1. BRITTANY Ferries says it will launch a new weekly Rosslare-Cherbourg route and double its current Cork-Roscoff services in March 2021 despite the risk of Covid-19 disruption. Ireland has ramped up direct shipping routes to mainland Europe since the end of the Brexit transition period, seeking new passages to the EU bypassing freight jams feared at UK borders. Mr Mathieu said: “We are now much more optimistic about the peak summer season. 316 talking about this. France and Spain will be open for business and we know that holiday makers are desperate to return to the beautiful destinations we serve.”. 307 talking about this. Brittany Ferries has had to cancel six journeys to France due to covid travel restrictions. Of the 2.5 million or so regular passengers, Brittany Ferries only welcomed 700,000 that year. The head of Brittany Ferries has called on the government to consider lifting travel bans in the spring. Sailings between Plymouth and Roscoff, and Portsmouth and … [Brittany Ferries], Comments Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp. Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries’ chief executive, said: “We welcome clarity on the traffic light framework for international travel and understand why France and Spain have been put on the amber list. “We benefit from the state-guaranteed loan that we haven’t entirely used up. Brittany Ferries operates routes from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander and Bilbao and cross Channel ferries to France from Portsmouth, Poole, Plymouth and Cork. Operator, Brittany Ferries has published some of the most disappointing figures in its history, following its AGM in St. Pol de Leon, France today. Cross-channel transporter with Plymouth base is pleased France and Spain are on 'amber' but wants them at 'green' as soon as possible. I. Gourvennec had no desire to run a ferry service, but existing operators showed little appetite for the opportunity. Why Covid marshals will continue to patrol Cornwall long past lockdown lifting. Freight was less badly affected, down 20% from 201,554 units to 160,377 as trucks were allowed to cross the water even when passengers were banned by various anti-coronavirus restrictions. When French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie visited the port of Ouistreham (Calvados) on Tuesday (5 January), the chairman stressed the importance of a “recovery plan in line with the needs” of the cross-Channel maritime players. “However, we urge regular review as the situation is improving rapidly on the continent. Under the new rules, countries are rated green, amber or red depending on their Covid infection risk. Brittany Ferries is to axe a number of sailings because of coronavirus restrictions - hitting the journeys of 50,000 passengers. French-owned Brittany Ferries called the stats “some of the most disappointing figures” in its history. Brittany Ferries has had to cancel six journeys to France due to covid travel restrictions. Last night, a total of 355 passengers were left stranded onboard the Normandie ferry overnight after its 10.45pm sailing was suddenly cancelled, with some travellers reduced to … The only change due to Covid-19 with Condor is that the firm has had to put in place a restriction on the numbers of cycles it carries. Brittany Ferries calls for Covid 'sea lanes' to span The Channel. As early as the 1970s, it lost two ships that ran aground in the port of Saint-Malo after facing engine problems. The Portsmouth-Santander-Plymouth-Roscoff-Cork service will … The company quickly expanded its range of services, carrying both vegetable products and passengers by the end of the 1970s. Foot passenger tickets … | Do you want to read just our finest work? lizzieu2013. Welcome to Brittany Ferries. Brittany Ferries is today the leading employer of French seafarers. In fact, it was after the UK’s entry into the common European market in 1973 that the company came into being. 1) All persons (including UK nationals and residents) arriving in the UK from outside the common travel area must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of departure to the UK. Report response as inappropriate. Brittany Ferries has published some of the most disappointing figures in its history, following its AGM in St Pol de Leon, France, according to the company's release. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the new “traffic light” system for travel abroad during a Government coronavirus briefing. France’s Brittany Ferries in dire straits due to double Brexit/COVID whammy By Lucie Duboua-Lorsch | EURACTIV France | translated by Daniel Eck 07-01-2021 However, the firm, which has already been taking reservations for 2022, said the two countries should be reclassified as “green” within weeks and that regular reviews of the list are “imperative”. Christian Matthieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries (Image: William Telford - Business Live) Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu has urged travellers to consider going abroad via ferry instead. And the last-minute UK-EU trade agreement has not alleviated their concerns. Brittany Ferries passengers have expressed concern at the way the company is managing summer bookings. On the fast cross-Channel ferry from Poole, it can carry only 15 bikes while on the conventional ferry from Portsmouth to the islands, the maximum is six. “Since 17 March, the company has been in resistance mode and has lost 50% of its turnover in 2020,” Roué explained. Brittany Ferries' Armorique arriving at Millbay. The fate of the Breton company, whose head office is based in Roscoff, has always depended on Franco-British relations. We're born from a passion for Brittany & beyond. This means the British will have to respect a strict lockdown until mid-February – enough to plunge the Breton shipping company even further into crisis. The Pont-Aven is Brittany Ferries' largest vessel, carrying up to 2,400 passengers and 650 cars. 1. Traffic Lights Ahead, a message from our CEO With some encouraging progress with vaccinations on both sides of the channel and increasingly positive news about the forthcoming summer, we’ve taken stock of where we are and agreed the next steps of our 5 … It sails from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth where it has its UK HQ. Terms and Conditions EURACTIV France reports. However, Brittany Ferries’ good days seem to be over. It sails from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth where it has its UK HQ. After Brexit and the global pandemic, a new variant of the coronavirus ravaging the UK has dealt a fresh blow to the emblematic French shipping company Brittany Ferries, which now hopes for help from the French government. 1. Plymouth's diving superstar, Tom Daley alongside partner Matty Lee won gold in the European Aquatics Championship in a stunning run of results ahead of this summer's Olympics in Tokyo. By 1972 he had successfully secured funding and work to develop a deep-waterport at Roscoff. In a year dominated by the Covid crisis and amid on-going Brexit concerns, 2020 passenger numbers fell to less than a third of normal levels. The company, which sails to the continent from Plymouth, Poole and Portsmouth, said it was pleased France and Spain avoided being on the "red list" of nations, which are under the most stringent restrictions. Brittany Ferries: Closed France-UK routes will not restart before May Firm says continuing pressures from Covid have forced it to delay trips. Since Britain’s 2016 referendum on EU membership, Brittany Ferries has lost nearly “€115 million in pound-to-euro rates alone”, the company’s chairman, Jean-Marc Roué, told a press conference. People in England can visit Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel from May 17 without self-isolating on their return, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced. We're born from a passion for Brittany & beyond. When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. 28 19. The firm saw turnover fall to just 202.4million euros in 2020 – a 57% drop from 469million euros a year earlier. The company is … Thanks to a downward trend in Covid cases and improving vaccination rates, we fully expect France and Spain to be re-classified as green countries in the weeks ahead.”. It has allowed us to avoid defaulting on our payments. 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