Condor has confirmed details of its updated schedule for the summer as the company responds to the gradual easing of travel restrictions across its network.
The timetable, which is for sailings from Friday 2nd July, will provide additional peak time capacity around weekends when people want to travel and a lower frequency during weekdays. Each Island will have a dedicated vessel providing direct sailings.
High speed services will connect Jersey with Poole, offering morning departures from St Helier and St Malo operates primarily in the evenings using Condor Voyager.
For Guernsey, subject to border restrictions being relaxed, French sailings will be twice weekly initially from Guernsey and a new Wednesday service will offer a day trip from St Malo using Condor Voyager.
A Condor spokesperson said the company had weathered a very difficult year but is determined to press ahead with plans for 2021. “The Covid reality of the past 12 months is that we have only carried a fraction of our expected passengers so this has meant a complete review of the level of service we are able to provide.
“Passenger schedules will, nevertheless, show an overall increase in seat and car capacity compared with previous years and are focussed around weekends. They also support the three parts of our business – lifeline freight, tourism and travel for Islanders – and have been put together in collaboration with Brittany Ferries.”
Key features for 2021 include direct, high speed services to Poole on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, departing at 09:30 each morning with one afternoon sailing every Sunday. St Malo to Jersey will operate as a morning service with the return from St Helier in the afternoon or evening, offering a long day trip for inbound visitors.
Clipper continues to run daily freight and passenger services from Portsmouth, linking and Jersey and Guernsey and inter-island schedules are offered on Condor’s conventional and high speed ferries.
The spokesperson added: ‘The schedule in general focuses on the peaks, notably at weekends when people want to travel. ‘Everyone knows that the past year has been challenging for everyone in tourism. We are, though, really looking forward to resuming services to bring in much needed tourism and reunite families once again and are keen to see a recovery in passenger travel.’
Condor’s high speed sailings will be operated by Condor Liberation and the Condor Voyager