DFDS/LD LINES READY TO START NEW CALAIS-DOVER ROUTE
Operation of the new DFDS route Dover-Calais starts from 17 February
The new Dover-Calais route will start operation as from the 17 February. Two ships flying the French flag will be added on the Dover Strait.
As previously stated, DFDS and our partner LD Lines have been very committed to establishing a new joint passenger and freight ferry service between Dover and Calais. Today we are very pleased to announce that we will start our new service on 17 February 2012. Initially we will operate the route with the NORMAN SPIRIT, which is flying the French flag. A further ferry under the French flag will be added on the Dover Strait as soon as we can be ready with a suitable ship. As we have also previously announced, we will hire 300 staff at sea and ashore in addition to those we already employ. The process of hiring people, many of these being former SeaFrance staff, has already started. DFDS and LDA are grateful for the support which we have received from the French Government, Chamber of Commerce, the local authorities and the ports, whose support have been important factors in being able to start already on 17 February. We look forward to continuing this fruitful cooperation to the benefit of the future development of the route as well as employment. We are confident that our customers and the many people and freight companies that travel between France and Dover will benefit from the flexibility we can now offer with both a northern leg on Dover-Dunkerque and a southern leg on Calais-Dover.
We therefore look very much forward to being able to welcome passengers as well as freight customers to our new Calais- Dover service, and, in cooperation with our new employees as well as our staff in Dover and Dunkerque, we look forward to providing an attractive and efficient customers service and a sustainable workplace.
Contact persons: Carsten Jensen, Senior Vice President, Head of DFDS Channel Business: Tel. +45 24 66 61 40 or Chris Newey, Passenger Director, Tel.: 0044 (0)7789 500699
The first sailing will be from Calais on 17 February at 12:15. Below, please find the interim sailing schedule which will be effective from 17 February until the second ship is ready for the route.
Dover-Calais Calais-Dover 03:30* 02:00* 09:00 07:45 13:30 12:15 17:45 16:45 22:45 21:30
- Not on SundaysThe Companies
Louis Dreyfus Armateurs is a French shipping Group operating in several market segments, including bulk, offshore and ferry shipping. The company's ferry shipping activities, LD Lines, were established in 2003 and currently comprises four routes. DFDS A/S is a Danish Shipping and Logistics Group with about 30 shipping routes in the Baltic Sea, The North Sea and The English Channel. The company operates about 55 passenger ships, freight ferries and combined freight and passenger ships as well as container ships. The logistics activities include most of Europe. The group employs 5000 people in 20 countries and is listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen.