UK port marks 40 years of cross-Channel services and 30 years of Brittany Ferries services
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Portsmouth International Port marked 40 years of handling cross-Channel ferry services from the UK city to mainland Europe on 8 June.
The celebrations also marked Brittany Ferries’ 30th anniversary of providing services on the route between Portsmouth and Caen in France.
To mark the event, French Ambassador Sylvie Bermann joined several French dignitaries, Portsmouth’s councilors, port staff and other invited guests for a tour of Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower and HMS Victory. They then attended a reception in the passenger terminal and a celebratory lunch onboard Brittany Ferries’ Bretagne.
Brittany Ferries was among the first operators to sail from Portsmouth in 1976, starting with crossings to St Malo on Armorique. It is the only ferry company to have offered a continuous service from the port since it first opened for business. On 6 June 1986, Brittany Ferries began its service to Caen – also Portsmouth’s twin city – a route that now accounts for 38% of the 2.6 million passengers the company carries each year on all of its services to France, Spain and Ireland.
“In the past 40 years, Portsmouth International Port has become our hub, serving four destinations in Normandy and Brittany, but our Caen route holds a special place for Brittany Ferries staff and our passengers,” said Mike Bevens, group commercial director for Brittany Ferries. “It’s our most popular service, carrying by far the most traffic and is gateway to some of France’s most beautiful holiday destinations.”
The ferry operator also offers Portsmouth to Le Havre, Cherbourg and St Malo in France, as well as Bilbao and Santander in Northern Spain.
“Brittany Ferries has been a key partner in the growth of Portsmouth International Port, having been with us every step of the way,” said Martin Putman, port manager at Portsmouth International Port, said. We started from scratch with just one berth and a small terminal. Now there are five berths and the most modern port facilities in the country. The route to Caen has been incredibly important to both of us, and I’m glad so many guests could join us for our double celebration.”