P&O enters into new freight partnership with Irish Ferries on Dover-Calais service

A new ‘freight’ partnership with Irish Ferries has been announced on P&O Ferries’ Dover-Calais route, the operator of the vital UK-France route, but it will come at the expense of DFDS, writes Jean Ashmore.

In a statement, P&O Ferries CEO Peter Hebblethwaite said: “We recently announced that P&O Ferries would be joining an ambitious new space charter agreement with Irish Ferries on the Dover-Calais route.”

The new agreement with DP World-owned P&O is based on a “load and go” principle, meaning the operator will never send a ferry that is not fully loaded for cargo at peak times. Freight will therefore leave the port up to 25 percent faster at the busiest times.

The CEO added: “I am pleased to confirm that this agreement will come into effect before the end of August, initially for freight customers, before being extended to passengers. The existing space charter with DFDS ends in a month.

“P&O Ferries is committed to offering ferry customers the most competitive service and the best travel experience available and our new space charter agreement will deliver that.”

The development in the Strait of Dover market shows consolidation among operators and follows the introduction in June of Irish Ferries Oscar Wilde, the former P&O Dover-Calais cruise ferry, Spirit of Britain, and the P&O ‘Spirit’ class twin, Spirit of France.

In May, the Dublin-based company’s parent company, Irish Continental Group (ICG), signed a bareboat charter and purchase commitment agreement with DP World for the 47,592-ton vessel, the largest Irish Ferries vessel in the Anglo-French fleet.

The fleet, comprising Isle of Inishmore, Isle of Inisheer and Oscar Wilde, will operate alongside the P&O twins and the newer pair of ‘Fusion’ class ships, the twin-ships P&O Pioneer and this year’s debuting P&O Liberte, in the new freight arrangement.