Latest news with #DFDS
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Newhaven - Dieppe ferry route grants spark £125m lawsuit
A ferry company says it has launched legal action to sue a shipping company for £125m of losses sustained because of the "vast subsidies" given to its competitor. Brittany Ferries says grants DFDS receives to run its ferry route between Newhaven in East Sussex and Dieppe in France have affected its own routes between Portsmouth and France, costing its business £125m since 2013. Christophe Mathieu, the company's CEO, said: "Hauliers and passengers are turning to low-cost Newhaven because of this significant market distortion." A DFDS spokesperson said: "In light of the ongoing legal proceedings DFDS will revert before the court and will not for now comment in public." In an action lodged with the Brest Commercial Court, Brittany Ferries says it is seeking to recover "significant losses that come from this unfair competition" because of the grants from Syndicat Mixte Transmanche in Mathieu said: "The losses suffered as a consequence of vast subsidies given to DFDS to prop-up the loss-making Newhaven-Dieppe route hurt Brittany Ferries and the regions in which we operate."Portsmouth is our UK-hub and we want the city and the surrounding region to benefit fully from our long-standing partnership." He added: "As well as boosting their bottom line, subsidies ease the significant cost of decarbonisation - costs that must be borne fully by every other ferry company operating on the Channel." The next hearing is on 6 June in Brest in France, Brittany Ferries well as the civil action, Brittany Ferries has also lodged a complaint with the EU's Directorate-General for Competition.
ITV News
21-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Jersey businesses frustrated by higher than expected freight cost rises as some warn of price hikes
A major Jersey restaurant chain says it may have to charge customers more due to an unexpected rise in the cost of freight. Flo Aranda, Randalls' sales manager, explains that while the company is reluctant to hike prices on its menus, it may be forced to after being told by Ferryspeed to expect higher bills on imported goods into the island from later this year. Mr Aranda says it is not yet clear how much the freight costs will increase but that a rise of 10% or more would likely result in higher prices for customers. He adds: "What we want to achieve is keeping prices the same because I know that going out is expensive at the moment and we don't want to put any more pressure on people. "Just when you think you're out of the woods, something else comes up and something else comes up and something else comes up. "It feels like it's completely impossible to win." The news comes after Danish firm DFDS replaced Condor as the island's ferry operator at the end of March. DFDS charges a flat rate for freight compared to Condor's previous dynamic pricing model, with Jersey's Sustainable Economic Development Minister telling a scrutiny panel shortly before the takeover that there would be "no significant" rise in unit prices for retailers or consumers. In that hearing, Deputy Kirsten Morel and economy chief Richard Corrigan said they were estimating that consumers would pay 0.4% more for goods with the new flat rate. However, several retailers have confirmed to ITV News that Ferryspeed - the main transporters of freight for Jersey businesses - has told them to expect significant price rises. Pastella Ceramics expect a 7% increase, with another wholesaler told to brace for a double digit rise in freight costs. Ferryspeed declined ITV News's request for an interview but in a statement, the company said: "The global logistics industry is volume-based with low margins. "The greater the volumes of freight handled, the greater the opportunities to create efficiencies and pass the benefits of volume-based pricing on to the customer. "Brittany Ferries have also updated their Guernsey rates since the advent of the new single island contract. This means that our ferry operating costs have risen. "We have worked closely with our customers to try to mitigate and absorb these increases, where possible. "However, combined with above inflation increases on harbour dues and the increased cost of operations with two ferry providers, price adjustments are unfortunately unavoidable. "We have been paying the new rates since the ferry services launched and have protected our customers from the necessary adjustments while the impact was fully understood. "We recognise the importance of our role in ensuring that Channel Islands' economies grow by allowing businesses to import and export and enabling efficient supply chains." Responding to criticism from some businesses, Deputy Morel said: "I'm not here to be scapegoated. What I have done is brought transparency to ferry pricing. We now know how much it costs to bring goods to Jersey. "The intermediaries, the companies that take those goods off the ferry and distribute it around the island, there's no control on those prices. "That's very separate from the cost of the ferry and so I would like to have better sight of that and maybe we need to look at that."
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Plans for electric ferry service in Cork City unveiled
Plans for a near €80m fully electric river ferry service in and around Cork harbour have been unveiled. Ferry company executive Aidan Coffey said he hopes to lodge the required planning and licence applications within six to 12 months for a 17-stop ferry service between over a dozen harbour communities and the city centre using four 300-passenger capacity zero emissions catamarans. Pending the outcome of the planning process, the service could be operational by early to mid-2027, Mr Coffey said. Mr Coffey, who played a pivotal role in launching the DFDS ferry route between Rosslare and Dunkirk in 2021 post Brexit, currently leads Hibernia Line, which aims to launch more freight and passenger ferry routes from Ireland to mainland Europe over the coming weeks. He is also a director of Portus Greenway Ltd, trading as Harbour Link, which is behind the proposed new harbour ferry service. He was behind a similar but smaller proposal in 2008 but despite securing planning, it was shelved when the global economic crash hit. Mr Coffey said now that a range of local, regional, and national planning strategies have aligned, with Cork set to be one of the fastest growing city regions over the next 20 years, with major residential development earmarked for Tivoli and docklands, and with massive investment in transport projects such as BusConnects and the Cork Luas, he believes the time is right to try again. Cork has a fantastic opportunity to develop this stylish yet sustainable mode of all electric zero emission transport, as it has the unique resource of the unencumbered natural highway of the River Lee leading directly into the city. Harbour Link has identified up to 17 docking locations, including Crosshaven, Aghada, Spike Island, Cobh Ballast Quay and Five Foot Way, Ringaskiddy, Monkstown, Passage West, and Little Island in the lower harbour. It has exciting proposals to stop at Blackrock Pier, at the eastern end of the upgraded Marina Promenade, and at Blackrock Castle and Observatory, which could lead to the opening up the castle's riverside arched entrance to public use for the first time in decades. It also has proposed stops at Tivoli, at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and at Kennedy Quay in the south docklands, potentially at the Marina Market area, as well as at the new transport hub proposed at Kent Station. The large capacity catamarans will be able to cope with demand at peak commuter times, high-demand requirements from tourists when cruise liners call to Cobh, and with big events at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Live at the Marquee, or other major city events. The commuter service has planned frequencies of 30 minutes to the city in each direction, with a 24-hour or 48-hour hop-on, hop-off pass for short-break tourists visiting harbour sites such as Blackrock Castle and Observatory or Spike Island.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Extra ferry trip between Jersey and Guernsey for Muratti final
DFDS has announced changes to its schedule for the Muratti football matches between Jersey and ferry service operator said there had been "overwhelming demand" from islanders for a one-off return trip between Jersey and Guernsey for the Muratti Vase finals on said a service would depart from Jersey at 08:15 BST, with an evening service to leave Guernsey at 19: change meant two sailings for Portsmouth had been cancelled, with a third delayed, a decision criticised by the Jersey Chamber of Commerce. DFDS said the 21:10 Jersey services to Portsmouth on Friday would be cancelled as well as the 09:00 Portsmouth to Jersey firm said on Facebook: "All customers are being contacted and informed of changes to their bookings, as well as assisted with alternative arrangements. "We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and hope you can join us in wishing the teams the best of luck in their matches." 'Very serious concerns' Jersey Chamber of Commerce said "very serious concerns" had been raised by retailers and food suppliers about the changes to Stena Vinga's said retailers advised the loss of a scheduled freight delivery would delay the arrival of fresh produce and goods essential for weekend trade."This does raise concerns around product availability, increased costs, food waste and customer confidence," it said."With some stock likely to arrive out of date due to shorter product life, these changes in an industry already facing strong headwinds, plus the additional impacts on trade, productivity and profitability, are unwelcome."It said it was also concerned about the lack of prior consultation and limited communication concerning the schedule match will be the first Muratti game to be held at Guernsey's new Victoria Park ground.
Time Out
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Europe's best flower festivals to visit this season
Flowers are a pretty surefire way to brighten up table settings, gardens, streets – well, anywhere really – but they're not in bloom all year round. That's why we've gotta make the most of them when they're in season, and the best way to do that? Frolicking at a flower festival, of course. There are bloomin' brilliant ones all across Europe, but to give us an idea of the most photogenic floral displays out there, ferry and cruise operator DFDS has conducted some research to compile a list of the most popular ones on Instagram. Topping the list with a whopping 475,000 Instagram posts is Keukenhof Gardens, the biggest tulip garden in the Netherlands. It's located just outside Amsterdam in Lisse, and produces a regular Flower Report so visitors know what sort of displays to expect, but if you're keen to pay it a visit, hurry – the gardens close for the end of tulip season on May 11. Second place went to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a world-renowned event which takes place annually in the gardens of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, and in third place was Girona Temps de Flors, when the Catalonian city is adorned with vibrant splashes of colour with flowers dotted all over the place. These are Europe's best flower festivals
