“This announcement is dreadful news for Brittany Ferries,” said Christophe Mathieu CEO Brittany Ferries. “It threatens what little remains of an already disastrous summer season. Our only hope is that holiday makers visiting our French destinations follow the stoicism of those who have travelled with us to Spain over the last fortnight. Despite quarantine restrictions on their return to the UK, only around one in five of those who booked have cancelled or changed their travel plans. Of course, what this will mean for future bookings remains to be seen.”

Brittany Ferries will closely follow demand over the coming weeks. Before today’s news it expected to carry around 240,000 passengers this summer. That compares with around 780,000 for a normal year, a consequence of lockdowns, restrictions on travel and capacity limits on ships.

The company has warned of potential changes to schedules at the end of the summer, if demand falls to levels that means services become unsustainable.