The year 2025 will be marked by the arrival of two new hybrid LNG/electric vessels. The first, the SAINT-MALO, whose sea trials are scheduled for mid-September, will enter service in February 2025 on the Saint-Malo / Portsmouth line and will replace the BRETAGNE, which entered the fleet in 1989. Her sister ship GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE is scheduled to join the fleet in April to serve the company's busiest line, Caen-Ouistreham / Portsmouth, replacing the NORMANDIE from 1992.

"The results of this 2024 season are very positive for the company, our customers and the regions we serve," said Christophe Mathieu, Chairman of the Brittany Ferries Board of Directors. "The work we have done to overcome the Covid-19 crisis and prepare for the future is bearing fruit: customers are returning and passenger satisfaction rates are increasing; freight transport figures are positive, and we are continuing our environmental trajectory with the arrival of hybrid ships, which are even more virtuous."

Caen-Ouistreham:

Opened in 1976, the line linking Ouistreham to Portsmouth (United Kingdom) is the company's busiest with three daily departures. In the 2024 financial year, 700,000 passengers made reservations. This represents an increase of 9.3% compared to the previous year, almost twice the growth rate observed on all lines. A second year also in positive, with 2023 having shown a 14.2% increase in passengers compared to 2022.

Cherbourg:

The port of Cherbourg linking Normandy to Poole and Portsmouth (southern United Kingdom) and Rosslare (Ireland) shows an increase of 4%, slightly less than the average, which is explained by the absence of fast ship services to and from Portsmouth and Poole. However, passenger growth on the route to Ireland was more impressive. The Cherbourg / Rosslare route saw a 28% increase with 35,000 passengers.

Saint-Malo:

The year-on-year comparison for Saint-Malo does not accurately reflect the situation due to the winter closure of the route. However, the comparison between the spring and summer months (March to October) reveals satisfactory results with a 12% increase in passengers.

Roscoff:

Roscoff routes saw strong growth in 2024 with a 12% increase in volume to 360,000 passengers. The largest increase was recorded on the historic Roscoff / Plymouth route in the South West of England, which saw 37,000 additional passengers compared to 2023, bringing the total to 246,000 passengers carried (+18%).

Freight transport:

Almost a fifth of the company's turnover is generated by freight transport. The increase in freight traffic therefore contributes directly to traffic growth. Overall, volumes increased by 4.3%. Roscoff is one of the ports that benefited the most. Indeed, Roscoff / Plymouth recorded a 52% increase in freight volumes, or 1,553 units transported, while Roscoff / Cork saw growth of 94% (883 units transported). Although volumes are still quite low, this is a promising trend that Brittany Ferries can build on for the future. Cross-Channel freight from Normandy ports increased by 3.7% to reach 86,014 units.

© Shippax