DFDS will operate ferry services in Jersey waters from next year, the island's Economic Development Minister has announced.

Deputy Kirsten Morel has chosen the Danish ferry company, after months of delays in picking between DFDS and Brittany Ferries. 

This means that Jersey and Guernsey will have separate ferry operators from next spring, with Guernsey having already opted for Brittany Ferries, majority owner of Condor Ferries - which has served the Channel Islands for the past six decades. 

A statement said

"The Government of Jersey has appointed DFDS as their preferred bidder to operate the Island’s UK and French passenger and freight services from 28 March 2025.

Subject to the completion of contract negotiations, the 2025 timetable will be published by the end of next week which will allow passengers to begin booking for next year. For Jersey passengers this is expected to mean:

• Greater frequency of ferries to the UK and France in peak periods
• Faster ferries to the UK
• Three new ferries within the next six years
• Two dedicated high speed ferries for the summer"

Deputy Kirsten Morel said: “We have run a robust procurement process that has been independently moderated, and the results show DFDS to be the strongest strategic partner for Jersey.

“A partnership with DFDS will deliver new investment including new highspeed vessels, more sailings in peak periods and a service that is reliable and resilient for Islanders, visitors and businesses.”

For freight users, the agreement will mean:

• A flat rate card (rather than volume-based pricing), to provide greater certainty and improve freight competitiveness.
• More regular freight sailings to France / UK at peak times.

The Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, said: “This decision has been made after very careful consideration and will secure the best possible ferry service for Jersey long into the future.”

DFDS says it is 'thrilled' to have won the 15 year agreement:

“This opportunity allows us to bring our commitment to safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service to both residents and visitors of Jersey.

"We understand that a reliable ferry service is vital for Jersey, for the economy, and for providing essential supplies and access to medical services, and we look forward to serving the local communities on Jersey for many years to come."  

DFDS vessel

The joint Channel Islands tender process fell apart in October, when Guernsey announced it was pushing ahead alone and had independently selected Brittany Ferries as its operator from March 2025. 

Guernsey’s Economic Development Committee President insisted at the time that this was the 'best possible deal for islanders', despite his Jersey counterpart raising concerns about Condor's finances.

Jersey then asked Condor Ferries to extend its current contract by seven months to give the government more time to choose an operator- a request which was rejected.

Following this, a new fast-tracked Jersey-only tender process was launched, where Minister Kirsten Morel and his advisors had to weigh up fresh bids between Brittany Ferries and DFDS. 

A decision was initially promised by the end of November, then by the end of the first week of December, following evaluation by independent assessors and approval by the Council of Ministers.

Kirsten Morel reading his statement on ferries, 13 November

During the previous decision-making process, Kirsten Morel raised concerns about Condor Ferries finances in the States Assembly, using legal protections afforded by parliamentary privilege.

The Minister also said it was unclear in the initial bid from Brittany Ferries whether the contract would be with Brittany or Condor.

Brittany Ferries refuted the comments, with its Chairman releasing a statement saying the company had 'never in our 52 year history have we abandoned a ferry line or a service to a region for lack of profitability.'

During the Economic Development Minister's address to the States last month, he also said of the DFDS initial bid in the first tender process, that "any common sense reading of the two bids would judge it to be better."

He did, however, insist that he would go into the new Jersey-only ferry tender process open to choosing either bidder.

DFDS boat arriving in St Peter Port

Brittany Ferries' spring and summer ferry schedule has already been released for Guernsey. It notably only includes one midweek Guernsey - Jersey sailing.

Businesses that operate inter-islands and Channel Island sports teams have raised concerns that this would be detrimental to their livelihoods.

Just days ago, before DFDS was announced as Jersey's new ferry operator, Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu said the expected inter-islands provision would be improved if it was to run services in both islands.

However, he revealed he has no intention of changing the planned inter-islands provision if BF wasn't successful in securing the Jersey routes: 

"Guernsey have been very clear that if we win both islands, Deputy Inder is happy to let's say, revert back to the schedule as we know it.

"However if we were not to be chosen, we will stick to the schedules that have been published for Guernsey because as far as Guernsey is concerned, that's the schedule they asked for and we've given them what they wanted."

He also revealed that next year, Condor will be officially rebranded as Brittany Ferries at the request of both islands. 

Two Condor ferries - the Goodwill and Liberation Vessels - are now expected to be sold by Brittany Ferries, which the CEO confirmed to us would be likely to happen if the company failed to win the Jersey contract. 

It is not currently known how many Jersey - Guernsey services DFDS is intending on providing when it takes over operations from March 2025. 

When DFDS confirmed it has submitted its Jersey-only bid, Mathieu Girardin, Executive Vice President and Head of Ferry Division said the company would be using vessels from its existing fleet.

“DFDS has 158 years of experience in high reliability and quality transport solutions for passengers and freight across Europe. DFDS is a listed company, in solid financial health, and operates more than 70 ferries including RoRo, RoPax and high speed crafts, giving us the right scale and investment capacity to provide Jersey with appropriate fleet for its ferry services in the coming 15 years.

“We understand the importance of a safe, reliable and efficient ferry service for islanders and businesses in Jersey, and we are confident in our ability to deliver this service."

Jersey's 2025 spring and summer ferry schedule and details of the vessels DFDS will use is expected within the next two weeks.  

DFDS said:

"As a part of the planning process, DFDS will work together with the local authorities, business organisations, ports and local communities in Jersey to optimise the service and provide a comfortable and efficient travel experience.  

"DFDS will work closely with local authorities and the current operator to ensure a smooth transition."

About DFDS

DFDS was founded in 1866 and is headquartered and listed in Copenhagen.  It operates a transport network in and around Europe with an annual revenue of DKK 28bn and 14,000 full-time employees.

The company moves goods in trailers by ferry, road and rail and offers complementary and related transport and logistics solutions.

It also moves car and foot passengers on short sea and overnight ferry routes.

DFDS already operates two routes between Dover, Calais and Dunkirk and a route between Newhaven and Dieppe.