Condor timetable ‘will support travel over the festive period’

The vessel is being checked over for corrosion control.

Isle of Wight based company Marine Welding and Inspection Services shared a photograph of the boat on Twitter with the caption: ‘Assisting @Condor_Ferries on their annual docking of [the] Liberation.

‘We really can’t believe it’s that time again – where has the year gone?!’

The company specialises in welding and fabrication, ship repair, corrosion inspection, repair plans and non-destructive testing.

In a recent update, Condor CEO Paul Luxon hoped normal passenger operations would resume.

‘The news emanating from Downing Street last weekend of a lockdown being applied from 5 November and similar decisions taken the week before in France sadly means that this is still not possible,’ he said.

‘The pandemic seems to have become endemic – an acceptance that we will have to (rightly) maintain border and travel restrictions between the islands, UK and France for a while into the future.’

The government’s decision to restrict all but essential movements is another blow and Condor is experiencing a drop in bookings and increase in cancellations.

Travel to and from Guernsey or Jersey is still only suitable for islanders, essential workers and those visiting friends and relatives, so Condor is reviewing passenger services over the next seven weeks and will cancel some sailings which are no longer viable.

‘I should add that we can easily reintroduce services if demand increases and following any relaxation in border and travel restrictions,’ Mr Luxon said.

‘Our UK-Channel Islands services on Friday 4 December have been scheduled to ensure students at UK universities and other islanders can return home to their families at such an important time. The timetable will also support travel over the festive period.’

Condor is committed to maintaining the supply chain of food, medical supplies and pretty much everything else Channel Islanders see around them.

Clipper and Goodwill’s services from Portsmouth therefore remain unchanged and the combined weekly distance covered by both ships is over 3,000 nautical miles, the equivalent of London to New York.

Mr Luxon said Condor liaises closely with the authorities and public health in both Guernsey and Jersey and strict distancing protocols at check-in and on-board continue to ensure passenger and crew safety.

‘I am immensely proud of everyone at Condor in navigating us into this position today,’ he said.

‘Their collective efforts in supporting the business and planning for every eventuality has been impressive, given the changing scenarios that the company continues to face.’

He thanked islanders for their patience, support and understanding over the past few months and added: ‘My optimism will remain intact, as our communities have already shown on countless occasions this year how we can support each other as we all strive to return to normal, not just the new normal.’