Competition watchdog approves Brittany Ferries' Condor takeover

Thursday 12 September 2024

Jersey's competition watchdog has granted Brittany Ferries permission to become the majority owner of Condor.

The move, which was announced last month subject to approval from the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority, comes after the French ferry firm's chief executive – Christophe Mathieu – said it was looking to become “far more involved” with the Channel Islands.

Pictured: The French ferry operator's CEO Christophe Mathieu said it wanted to be "far more involved" with the Channel Islands.

Brittany Ferries was already a shareholder in Condor but the deal will now see it take a 51% stake in the operator.

JCRA chief executive Tim Ringsdore said the move was recently approved by the watchdog and that further details would be published soon.

The change will also see Brittany Ferries assume operational responsibility for Condor with immediate effect.

"Not a short-term arrangement"

In a statement, Mr Mathieu said: "Ultimately, this is a good news story for the Channel Islands as it will result in a better service for Condor’s passengers.

"Brittany Ferries possesses the experience, expertise, and scale, combined with deep knowledge of the transport sector and customer service over five decades, to implement best practices effectively."

Mr Mathieu added: "I want to emphasise that our commitment to Condor and the islands is absolute and enduring. This is not a short-term arrangement; rather, Brittany Ferries' philosophy will be integrated into passenger and freight management as part of a long-term strategy."

Pictured: Brittany Ferries will now assume a majority shareholding in Condor and take over operational responsibility for the operator.

The move comes amid a battle to secure the contract for Jersey and Guernsey's passenger and freight services for the next 15 years, with Condor, Danish shipping giant DFDS and Irish Ferries all reportedly in the running.

The winner is due to be announced next month.