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DFDS expects to transport around 400,000 passengers on its new Jersey ferry route in 2025 – bringing in around £50m of revenue by the end of the year, it has emerged.
The Danish ferry firm signed the 20-year ferry deal with Jersey's Government on New Year's Eve.
The contract will begin on 28 March 2025, providing ferry services between Jersey, the UK, and France.
In an update shared with investors this morning, DFDS said that a total of 400,000 passengers are expected to use the service during the last three quarters of 2025 – more than half of which are related to tourism.
Meanwhile, freight volumes in the same period are "expected to amount to around 450k lane metres".
Pictured: Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel, who has political responsibility for the selection process, said on New Year's Eve that he was "delighted" the contract had been signed with DFDS.
DFDS also revealed that the Jersey ferry operation is "expected to generate revenue of around DKK 450m [£50m]".
"The operation is expected to be financially accretive in 2025 and in line with DFDS’ return requirements over the concession period," the Danish ferry operator said.
DFDS will deploy four ferries to service three routes: Jersey to Portsmouth, Jersey to Poole, and Jersey to St Malo.
These will include two high-speed crafts, one RoPax ferry, and one RoRo ferry.
Pictured: DFDS's provisional St Malo sailings.
The provider has already revealed three of the vessels that will be serving the Jersey routes. However, as part of the concession agreement, DFDS is planning to renew its fleet through the introduction of new ferries between 2030 and 2032.
DFDS also recently released its "provisional" timetable for ferry services, noting that the full version would not be ready until later this month.
The Danish shipping giant said it was still in discussions with a number of ports – including Poole, Portsmouth and Saint-Malo – as it looked to firm up arrival and departure times across its routes.
"We are excited to embark on this journey with Jersey and the local community. The lifeline ferry service is a vital link for the island, and we are fully committed to delivering reliability and an enhanced travel and transport experience for islanders, businesses and visitors. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Jersey and serving the community,” said Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS.
Filip Hermann, VP BU Channel & Baltics at DFDS, added: “Tourism and hospitality are important parts of the local economy. We will support connectivity with short travel time and meet demand with the right frequency of ferries, and providing freight capacity, enabling islanders to travel off-island and attracting more visitors to Jersey, and thereby support tourism in the region."
Last week, it emerged that Brittany Ferries launched legal action against the government after losing the Jersey bid.
After a hearing on 20 December, the Royal Court rejected most of its grounds for judicial review, but did give Condor's majority owner permission to challenge a limited aspect of the decision-making process.
The Government has said it will "robustly defend" its conduct. A court hearing is scheduled to take place tomorrow (3 January), with a further hearing due to be held on 13 and 14 January to "decide the limited ground of challenge".
Happy New Year! Jersey signs 20-year ferry contract
"We should stand up for what is right" – Brittany Ferries fighting Jersey Minister in Royal Court
FIRST LOOK: DFDS releases "provisional" ferry timetable
FOCUS: What happens now that DFDS has won the ferry tender?
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