P&O Ferries ‘takes back leadership’ on Dover-Calais route

P&O Ferries has announced the return of a fifth ro-ro ship on its Dover-Calais route in order to take back market leadership on the English Channel.

Pride of Burgundy – a 28,000t vessel with capacity to carry 120 lorries – will return to the vital arterial route in June 2021, restoring the P&O Dover-Calais fleet to its pre-pandemic strength of five and expanding options for customers looking to transport goods between Britain and the EU. The ship will sail in freight-only mode.

In 2019, P&O Ferries’ share of ferry freight volumes on the Dover Strait was more than 50%. P&O Ferries has since become part of DP World, a leading global provider of smart logistics, which reported robust financial results for 2020 with revenue growing by 11% to $8,553 million.

David Stretch, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, said: “I am delighted to welcome a fifth ship back to our Dover-Calais fleet which will increase flexibility for customers and enable us to deliver a cost-effective freight service on the English Channel as the economy returns to normal.

“Dover-Calais is a vital trade route both for the UK and EU economies as well as the thousands of businesses which rely on our services and we aim to return our market share back to where it belongs.

“My message to our freight customers is simple: P&O will do everything it can to continue being the brand you can trust to deliver your goods from beginning to end, with the aim of solving the most complex logistical challenges using our integrated ferry and logistics assets.”

Mike Bhaskaran, DP World’s Chief Operating Officer – Logistics and Technology, added: “We are the leading provider of smart logistics, enabling the flow of global trade. I would like to thank everyone at P&O Ferries who has worked hard to keep trade flowing during the last 12 months and am excited by the opportunities which the arrival of a fifth ship on Dover-Calais brings, both in terms of our offer to customers and also returning P&O to growth.”