By Breda Graham
Brittany Ferries has announced that it is to move its Ireland to Spain sailings from Cork to Rosslare Europort in Co Wexford.
The new Spanish arrival port from Rosslare will be Bilbao, the largest city of the Basque Country in northern Spain.
The decision to pull the Cork to Santander route, which launched in 2018 with a two-year trial window, was made following consultation with freight customers who sought after better road connections and reduced driving distances.
The route was primarily aimed at the freight market into Europe, although it also carried holidaymakers.
According to Brittany Ferries CEO, Christophe Mathieu, freight numbers were not strong enough.
"While passenger numbers have been encouraging, the reality is that freight numbers, which are key to route viability, were not sufficiently robust," he said.
Mr Mathieu made clear that the shipping company remains committed to Cork following today's announcement.
"I want to make it clear that we remain committed to Cork, with our flagship Pont-Aven cruise-ferry service to Roscoff.
"We’re also committed to an Ireland-Spain route, now via Rosslare, and we’ll look after existing passengers whose future travel will be affected by this change," he assured.
Brittany Ferries will continue to operate its Ireland to France sailing from Cork Harbour to Roscoff.
In response to Brittany Ferries decision to finish the Cork to Santander route, Port of Cork said in a statement:
The Port of Cork have been informed by Brittany Ferries that the weekly Ro-Pax ferry service from Cork to Santander which includes a midweek Roscoff sailing is to cease operating.
This surprising decision by Brittany Ferries is very disappointing, however we will continue to pursue other options for linking Cork and Northern Spain.
"We remain supportive of Brittany Ferries who have operated out of Cork for over 40 years and we will continue to facilitate Brittany Ferries on their weekly service from Cork to Roscoff re-commencing in March 2020."
The new Ireland to Spain route out of Rosslare will again concentrate on freight with an option for holidaymakers.
Glenn Carr, General Manager, Rosslare Europort said:
“We are delighted to welcome Brittany Ferries to Rosslare Europort. This new Rosslare to Bilbao service will be attractive for trade and tourism alike.
We very much welcome that this service is being launched because of demand from freight customers, due to Rosslare’s strategic position and access to key markets.
"Brittany Ferries will also benefit from our €25 million investment in port facilities, infrastructure and technology, as part of the Port’s strategic plan. We look forward to working closely with Brittany Ferries to ensuring the success of their new service.”
The first sailing of the new Rosslare to Bilbao route is due to take place on February 28.
All customers already booked on affected sailings from Cork will be given the option to transfer their booking to sailing between Rosslare and Bilbao with an allowance to cover additional transfers.
Alternatively, a full refund will be provided to those who choose to cancel.
