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JOBS BLOW AS SEACAT SERVICE SCRAPPED

Hopes that the Seacat service between Dover and Calais would be back next year have been sunk by a statement from their management company Sea Containers Ltd. 

Dover - Calais Seacat service scrapped

The port will lose its Hoverspeed link to the continent next week following a restructuring exercise by their operators. 

The company said on Thursday (3 November) that its ferries division needs to stem operating losses. They will be selling ships at its Finland-based Silja unit, and withdrawing Dover-Calais service at the company's Hoverspeed unit. 

In the company statement it said: " Sea Containers is no longer able to support Hoverspeed's losses on the English Channel so it will not operate the Dover-Calais route in 2006 or thereafter. Hoverspeed has commenced consultation with staff as required by law, which will result in a significant number of redundancies".

The ferry routes between France and England across the English Channel have suffered from declining passenger and car volumes, excess capacity and reduced profits from low tax merchandise sales. The car-carrying fast ferries incurred losses in 2005, due mainly to high fuel prices.