Big ferry

Ferries in Europe: one cruise from two companies

Two major ferry cruise players - Danish company DFDS Seaways and French LD Lines ferry operator - unveiled plans launch a new joint route between the ports of Dover and Calais as well as joint ferry management on the route.

The decision to join efforts on these routes was made after elimination of one of the largest ferry operators in France - SeaFrance.

The new alliance of the Danish and French companies provides for servicing Dover-Calais route on at least two ferries under the French flag.

Company representatives already declared that launching of a new route between France and the UK will create 300 new jobs.

By combining their capabilities the companies will be able to compete on this route with the British ferry operator P&O Ferries.

It should be noted that currently ferry cruises across the Strait of the Pas-de-Calais are experiencing hard times due to the growth of budget operator offers and increased capacity of the tunnel under the English Channel. Thus, DFDS Seaways and LD Lines will have to create its own format, which will allow both companies to hold and not to lose positions on the Calais-Dover-Calais route, which previously held SeaFrance.

DFDS Seaways is a Danish ferry company and one of the largest in the region of Northern Europe. Today the company serves passenger routes from Klaipeda, Copenhagen and Newcastle. It also has a route from Dover to Dunkerque.

LD Lines is French ferry company founded in 2005. The company operates on the route Le Havre-Portsmouth, as well as a number of routes connecting the ports of France, Belgium and Holland.

Ilya Kalachev

Date: 15/01/2012