Channel Islands ferries: How did we get here?

Condor Ferries has been serving both of the largest Channel Islands for 60 years, but that is to change after Jersey chose Danish firm DFDS to run its ferry services from March.

Jersey said the new contract would mean faster and more frequent ferries as well as two high-speed services in summer.

Guernsey picked Brittany Ferries, Condor's parent company, in October to run its services for the next 15 years after a tender process.

But Condor turned down Jersey's offer of a seven-month extension to its current contract and rival bidder DFDS said it was willing to step in and operate the routes.

Condor's previous agreements with both islands are set to end in March 2025, so both governments started thinking about the tender process for the next 15 years back in 2023.

The plan was to have the process completed by the end of September 2024, but that did not happen.

At the start of the year, the Government of Jersey and States of Guernsey gave bidders a schedule of how the tender process would work:

22 July: Shortlisting notification

29 July to 12 August: Clarifications and negotiation period

12 August: Invitation to submit final tender issued

19 to 26 August: Evaluation period

2 to 12 September: Unsuccessful bidders informed

2 to 23 September: Finalising agreement period

30 September: Final contract award date

Guernsey announced Brittany Ferries as its preferred bidder a month later than originally planned.

Jersey opted to delay its choice, with mixed messages about who knew what and when, and then launched a new tender process.

Minister for Sustainable Economic Development Deputy Kirsten Morel said: "Both the original and Jersey-only tender process required prospective operators to set out a clear plan for a mobilisation fleet to be in place for day one of any new operating agreement, to ensure that the route could be fully serviced by sufficient tonnage and passenger capacity.

"The procurement process also asked that this mobilisation fleet be available without assumptions being made on the future acquisition of vessels from other operators."

In April 2023, the States of Guernsey helped Condor purchase its new ferry - the Condor Islander - which it said was to protect the island's supply chain.

Later the same year the States refused to rule out it was in talks to buy a stake in Condor.

In December, DFDS ran trials using its ferry the Finlandia in the harbours in St Helier and St Peter Port as part of contingency planning funded by both islands.

While the trial in St Helier was deemed a success, the ferry made contact with a wall in St Peter Port harbour as it left.

In January 2024, Jersey and Guernsey announced a joint tender process to run their ferry services for the next 15 years, with the successful operator planned to operate the routes from spring 2025.

Danish firm DFDS revealed it planned to bid to take over the routes and it held public meetings asking islanders what they wanted from their ferry service.

The tender bidding process formally began on 15 May, with Guernsey's government promising an "open and impartial" process.

Current operator Condor confirmed its intention to bid.

A potential bidder - Stena Line - announced it was pulling out of the process, citing competing priorities and the routes did not align with its business model.

Maritime business expert Alf Baird said the tender process favoured Condor as the incumbent.

The first of the self-imposed deadlines - to inform shortlisted companies by 22 July - passed without the firms being notified.

In August, the BBC learned Irish Ferries had also placed a bid.

The following month, as Brittany Ferries became the majority shareholder in Condor, DFDS ran successful trials of its ships in Guernsey and Jersey.

In October one of Jersey's senior civil servants withdrew from any involvement in the tender process after he took part in an online poll asking Facebook users to pick their preferred ferry company.

The government said it was an "inadvertent mistake", but Jersey warned its decision could be delayed until November because of the resignation.

This prompted Brittany Ferries to warn tourists would go elsewhere if the decision was delayed, while a consumer group urged decision makers to "hurry up".

On 30 October, Guernsey announced it had picked Brittany Ferries as its preferred company to run its ferry routes.

Jersey's government initially said it had only heard about Guernsey's decision when a press release was published, with Jersey's Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel saying it was "not a good look".

However, Guernsey Deputy Neil Inder said Jersey had been told the plans two weeks before the decision was announced.

Jersey offered Condor a seven-month extension to its contract to give its government more time to decide, but Condor rejected the offer, saying it was "surprised and disappointed".

The uncertainty led to a standby ferry, the MV Arrow, which was part of contingency arrangements costing Jersey and Guernsey a combined €700,000 (£580,000) a month.

Guernsey's States said a Guernsey-only ferry service could meet its needs, while DFDS said it would be interested in providing a Jersey-only service.

However, a Guernsey tourism group said having different ferry providers for each island would be "unworkable".

Jersey's government said it would be starting a shortened Jersey-only tender process with a decision expected by the end of the month, but this was then delayed, with Morel saying he expected a decision to be made early in December.

Morel came under pressure, with deputies demanding to grill him over the handling of the previous tender process.

Morel defended the delay, saying it was in the island's best interests, and adding he would approach DFDS to run Jersey's ferry service on an interim basis.

On 22 November, Brittany Ferries published its 2025 timetable for Guernsey.

The company said it would only sail to Jersey once a week from late March, down from one or more sailings a day in recent years, which the States of Guernsey said was "not yet optimal".

The new schedule also received criticism from a former harbour master for the lack of a backup for the fast ferry.

The company said it would run a daily, high-speed service between the island, St Malo and Poole, a move cautiously welcomed by local business leaders.

At the end of November Brittany Ferries' chief executive Christophe Mathieu said Condor would be rebranded to Brittany Ferries Channel Islands, bringing an end to 60 years of the Condor name in the islands.

After months of waiting, Jersey announced its decision to back the DFDS bid on 3 December.

The Government of Jersey said the agreement would mean more frequent ferries to the UK and France in peak periods and faster ferries to the UK.

It said there would also be two high-speed ferries in summer as well as a flat rate card for freight users.

Morel said Jersey had run a "robust procurement process that has been independently moderated" and the results showed DFDS was "the strongest strategic partner for Jersey".

Both agreements still need to be signed, but failing a last-minute twist in the tale, Jersey and Guernsey will have different ferry companies next year for the first time in decades.

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