Condor sees 30% spike in business on St Malo freight route

Wednesday 15 February 2023

Condor's freight link with France has seen a 30% uplift in business since Voyager (pictured) was used to provide additional sailings from April 2022.

The company’s Chief Executive, John Napton, has said the company was "naturally delighted" that the extension of its established freight link to the continent had resulted in the increased trade.

Condor’s French freight service has been running for 30 years, most recently with a one-day-a-week crossing operated by the Goodwill, which was last year bolstered by three weekly crossings on the high-speed Voyager.

Pictured: Condor Chief Executive John Napton said the company was 'naturally delighted' by the increased freight activity

"This is due to our frequency and extra capacity. Island-based and continental businesses are able to ship chilled and ambient items more often, and because Voyager is a larger vessel than her predecessor, offering greater deck space, this helps the range of products and materials that can be transported," he added.

Mr Napton also said that Condor’s general freight operation had shown "resilience" during the recent periods of bad weather and had helped to keep shelves stocked over Christmas.

However, during prolonged periods of extreme weather in the Channel, some supermarket shelves were left bare.

"I would like to pay tribute to the 100-strong freight team, to the crews on board our two ships and to our shore-side staff for their dedication, particularly in the key weeks before Christmas when we experienced some very challenging weather conditions, including battling five-metre waves in the English Channel," he continued.

"Despite this, we managed to ensure everyone was stocked and supplied in the islands over the festive period, so I am grateful to our staff for their hard work and determination, and also to the local retailers and logistics partners with whom we work closely."