Sea France
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:45 am
A French court gave the ailing state-owned ferry operator until Jan. 28 2012 to find a new buyer. SEAFRANCE will be well known to frequent ferry users. In the past, they were often the cheapest option, particularly when arriving without a booking. They are 100% owned by the French railways, SNCF and since October 2008 have been losing in the region of €3 million a month.
SEAFRANCE*, which mainly operates freight and passenger services between France and the UK, went into administration last year after losses of around $325 million. Sea France will cease trading on Jan. 29 if a buyout offer is not accepted.
A French court rejected a bid by Denmark’s DFDS to take over Sea France and gave the ailing state-owned ferry operator until Jan. 28 to find a new buyer. DFDS and France’s Louis Dreyfus group made a joint bid for certain Sea France assets worth a reported $7 million and offered to retain three of its four ships and 460 of its 800 strong onboard workforce.
In September 2010, the CFDT union rejected a plan for 400 redundancies as part of restructuring. Subsequently Sea France workers made a rival bid worth a nominal one euro [$1.35] that was also rejected by the Paris Commercial Court.
The court was tasked with deciding the company’s future after European Union regulators ruled that a $270 million bail out by the French government breached EU competition regulations. Sea France had suspended sailings for 48 hours “to safeguard passengers, crews, vehicles and ships” pending the court’s decision. Sailings are expected to resume later today.
*SeaFrance began operations between Dover and Calais in 1996 after the termination of a pooling agreement with Sealink (by then known as Stena Sealink Line) in 1995. The service initially began with the former Sealink vessels Fiesta and Côte d'Azur which became SeaFrance Cézanne and SeaFrance Renoir respectively after extensive refurbishments to create a distinctive French atmosphere on board. Former Sealink train ferry Nord Pas-de-Calais became the SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais and operated as a freight only ferry though SeaFrance did market the ship to passengers as a quiet ship. The three vessels were later joined by the former Stena Londoner which became the SeaFrance Monet. SeaFrance quickly became the second busiest operator on the Dover - Calais route after P&O European Ferries and ahead of their former partners now known as Stena Line. In 1997 the SeaFrance Manet entered service after a five year charter to Stena Line for the Newhaven-Dieppe service, the ship essentially replaced the Monet which was later sold after being damaged in Calais. SeaFrance took delivery of the SeaFrance Rodin in 2001, their first new ship and the fastest Dover-Calais ferry. She was joined in 2005 by the SeaFrance Berlioz, a sister ship built at a different yard.
SEAFRANCE*, which mainly operates freight and passenger services between France and the UK, went into administration last year after losses of around $325 million. Sea France will cease trading on Jan. 29 if a buyout offer is not accepted.
A French court rejected a bid by Denmark’s DFDS to take over Sea France and gave the ailing state-owned ferry operator until Jan. 28 to find a new buyer. DFDS and France’s Louis Dreyfus group made a joint bid for certain Sea France assets worth a reported $7 million and offered to retain three of its four ships and 460 of its 800 strong onboard workforce.
In September 2010, the CFDT union rejected a plan for 400 redundancies as part of restructuring. Subsequently Sea France workers made a rival bid worth a nominal one euro [$1.35] that was also rejected by the Paris Commercial Court.
The court was tasked with deciding the company’s future after European Union regulators ruled that a $270 million bail out by the French government breached EU competition regulations. Sea France had suspended sailings for 48 hours “to safeguard passengers, crews, vehicles and ships” pending the court’s decision. Sailings are expected to resume later today.
*SeaFrance began operations between Dover and Calais in 1996 after the termination of a pooling agreement with Sealink (by then known as Stena Sealink Line) in 1995. The service initially began with the former Sealink vessels Fiesta and Côte d'Azur which became SeaFrance Cézanne and SeaFrance Renoir respectively after extensive refurbishments to create a distinctive French atmosphere on board. Former Sealink train ferry Nord Pas-de-Calais became the SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais and operated as a freight only ferry though SeaFrance did market the ship to passengers as a quiet ship. The three vessels were later joined by the former Stena Londoner which became the SeaFrance Monet. SeaFrance quickly became the second busiest operator on the Dover - Calais route after P&O European Ferries and ahead of their former partners now known as Stena Line. In 1997 the SeaFrance Manet entered service after a five year charter to Stena Line for the Newhaven-Dieppe service, the ship essentially replaced the Monet which was later sold after being damaged in Calais. SeaFrance took delivery of the SeaFrance Rodin in 2001, their first new ship and the fastest Dover-Calais ferry. She was joined in 2005 by the SeaFrance Berlioz, a sister ship built at a different yard.
) who are running the venture were hoping for a July start but looks like September now . It will be Dover/Calais and LD lines will be kicked off of the former SeaFrance crossing slots they snatched. DFDS/LD wanted to force the new "SF" to be Dover/Bolougne but the Paris court said non.......