Brittany Ferries cuts routes amid rising costs

A cross-channel ferry operator has announced plans to close routes and sell ships as it battles with financial challenges.

Brittany Ferries will sell the vessel which serves travellers from Poole to Cherbourg, closing the route from November.

The company also said it is looking to close the Portsmouth to Le Havre route from October.

Christophe Mathieu, CEO for Brittany Ferries said: "We need adapt and that means a plan to secure a future that will continue to bring opportunities for all those who live and work in the regions we serve"

The company said it faces a bill of €27 million in 2026 and has blamed this on rising taxes, Covid loan repayments, unfair competition and fewer travellers.

It said that although it has repaid half of its Covid support loan, significant debt remains, alongside new costs from the The European Union Emissions Trading System despite major investments in greener ships.

It said it will run a daily service from Portsmouth to Cherbourg in place of the Poole journey.

The firm said ships serving Guernsey, Poole and Cherbourg will be allocated to a more efficient schedule from 1 November.

This would see its Islander vessel connect Portsmouth to Guernsey, Guernsey to Cherbourg, Cherbourg to Portsmouth.

Its Voyager fast craft would continue to serve Poole to Guernsey, but with the option to travel on to St Malo.

"Brittany Ferries has a track record in adapting its business to long- and short-term challenges," Mathieu said.

"We overcame Covid when borders were shut, we continue to wrestle with the consequences of Brexit and we are taking steps to make a holiday in France or Spain as reasonable as possible."

He added that the company had to be "realistic" and that it had informed ports and will work with everyone affected by the plans.

Nigel Wonnacott from Brittany Ferries, told BBC Radio Solent they were faced with "a perfect storm of increased costs at the moment" however he confirmed that "there are no staff redundancies in the UK".

He said travellers with pre-booked tickets that will be affected by the changes will have the option of getting their money back or using an alternative service.