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Low-cost competition worries Brittany Ferries chief

[ October 26, 2023   //   ]

Brittany Ferries saw “a worrying decline” in freight volumes in the summer (June to September) season, although passenger figures were encouraging.

Chief executive Christophe Mathieu said that while the majority of freight is carried outside the summer months, the trend reflected an overall decline in volume, adding: “This is particularly worrying on eastern Channel routes, where we have been hit by over-capacity on short sea routes such as Dover/Calais.

“The ensuing price war, in which low-cost operators have an unfair competitive advantage over those paying seafarers a fair wage, has led to a year-on-year decline of around 6%t. That’s for services operating from our eastern ports of Le Havre, Caen and Cherbourg. Compared with 2019, the figures are even more challenging, down by around 30%.”

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