'Urgent clarification' sought on ferry timings

A ferry operator said it was seeking "urgent clarification" on departure slots from St Malo after contradictory information.

DFDS Ferries previously said it secured the "sought-after" 07:45 (06:45 GMT) slot to Jersey for its fast craft services, but has since received a letter with a proposed departure time of 07:15.

It said it was seeking confirmation from St Malo officials that the principles to prioritise fast craft services would still be applied.

Brittany Ferries said its 2026 departure slot from St Malo to Guernsey had been confirmed as 08:15, 15-minutes later than its departure slot last summer. CEO Christophe Mathieu said the company was "delighted" with the "optimal timings".

"The decision reflects the importance of Brittany Ferries to St Malo port, where, as a group, we increased our freight activity by 48.1% and passenger traffic by 14.1% in comparison with 2024," Mr Mathieu added.

"The changes mean we can optimise our operations with the arrivals and departures each day of Voyager and our Portsmouth vessel, the Saint Malo.

DFDS said it received a letter from the Port of St Malo on 16 December, issued on behalf of the Brittany region, setting out the proposed prioritisation of departure slots for 2026 following discussions between the port authority and ferry operators.

It said the letter confirmed fast craft services operating between St Malo and Jersey would be prioritised, with the majority of DFDS' requested departure times approved.

Passenger and vehicle volumes on DFDS services to Jersey in 2025 were almost double those to Guernsey, reflecting strong demand for the route, it added.

The company said it was working to provide certainty to customers, partners and stakeholders on both sides of the channel.

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