In brief: Jersey’s Economic Development Minister Gerald Voisin is exploring new ferry and air link options between Jersey and Guernsey, but has made clear that any public financial support must represent value for taxpayers. Demand for inter-island travel has historically been weak outside peak season, complicating the search for a commercially viable solution.
The Background: A Relationship That Has Seen Better Days
Relations between Jersey and Guernsey over inter-island travel have been strained for some time. The two islands famously parted ways on a joint tender process for ferry services, each eventually signing contracts with separate operators. That decision left a conspicuous gap in direct, reliable connectivity between the two bailiwicks, and both governments have faced criticism for it ever since.
The most recent attempt to plug that gap did not go smoothly either. This summer, DFDS proposed a regular inter-island service using the Stena Vinga vessel, with the ferry arriving in Guernsey from Jersey on Friday evenings and returning late on Monday afternoons. Guernsey’s Economic Development Minister Sasha Kazantzeva-Miller swiftly declared the Friday sailing “not acceptable” on the grounds that the ship would only arrive after the Ports of Guernsey had closed. And so another proposal quietly ran aground.
What Is Jersey Actually Considering?
The issue was raised by Deputy Karen Wilson in a written question to Minister Voisin, who confirmed that options under consideration include services operated by the islands’ principal ferry companies, as well as potential involvement from the wider maritime industry. The minister said he was also interested in what he described as “innovative solutions” that could combine passenger services with sufficient vehicle capacity when required.
Bailiwick Express reports that Deputy Voisin confirmed the government has not ruled out providing financial support to help establish or maintain an inter-island service, though he was careful to set expectations. He noted that during DFDS’s high-speed inter-island trial in 2025, passenger volumes were reported to be “significantly below commercially sustainable levels.” His preference, he said, is for market-led solutions rather than further government contract expansion or regulation, though he added he is “prepared to consider any approach which secures sustainable inter-island connectivity.”
It is also worth noting what the existing concession agreement with DFDS does not cover. Deputy Voisin confirmed that the agreement is primarily focused on Jersey’s freight supply chain and its core passenger routes to the UK and France. Inter-island services are simply not part of that deal.
Air Links Also Under the Microscope
The government is not limiting its review to the sea. Deputy Voisin confirmed that Jersey is also considering whether there could be opportunities to increase competition in the air market between the two islands. Discussions are ongoing with Guernsey over its Air Route Licensing framework and whether additional operators could improve capacity and connectivity.
That conversation is not without its own complications. Guernsey’s Transport Licensing Authority, which decides which airlines can operate different routes, previously rejected Loganair’s bid to provide the “essential route” between Jersey and Guernsey, a decision that did little to ease concerns about the limited options available to travellers moving between the two islands.
Source: Bailiwick Express
