Brittany Ferries lays up ships and cuts services after quarantine measures imposed
Brittany Ferries is to lay up two ships and reduce services in response to the Government’s two-week quarantine measures.
The Plymouth-based ferry operator has announced plans to put its Amorique vessel into dock, and only use the Pont-Aven to make trips between Plymouth and France and Spain.
The ferry Bretagne, which sails out of Portsmouth, will also be laid up.
The company said the changes were necessary because of a projected decline in passenger numbers, with demand for autumn sailings described as “extremely weak”.
It comes after a reported 35,000 passengers cancelled or delayed bookings at the weekend, following the reintroduction of quarantine from France.
Christophe Mathieu, director general of Brittany Ferries, said: “We warned over the weekend that schedule changes were likely, as quarantine measures have led to a significant drop in demand for our services.
“These extraordinary decisions are regrettable and we apologise in advance to all those whose travel plans will be disrupted.”
Around 50,000 passengers with existing bookings will be affected by the schedule changes.
Travellers arriving in the UK from France are now obliged to self-isolate at home for two weeks, because of concern about French rates of coronavirus infection.
The quarantine measures also apply to three other countries served by Brittany Ferries - Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.
Read more: