Ferry Business - Summer/Spring 2020

1 2 5 planned sailings due to construction delays at the shipyard and the company’s resultant dispute with the National Transport Authority (NTA), the Irish National Enforcement Body in respect of the Passenger Rights Legislation (1177 / 2010). “While I cannot go into specifics as the legal case between Irish Ferries and the NTA will be heard before the Court of Justice of the European Union, it could have far-reaching implications for all ferry operators within Europe,” he says. “Interferry has now formed a working group on the subject and I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage any members reading this to provide necessary support to this working group.” Operationally, 2019 was also a fairly challenging year for Irish Ferries, with ever-moving deadlines related to the deal/no-deal departure of the UK from the EU. “We were challenged with procedural and policy changes to ensure we were ready for any eventuality, completing the necessary changes to our IT system and operational procedures that each scenario would require,” explains Sheen. “Tourism traffic also suffered in the opening months of the year, as continuing Brexit uncertainty hit consumer confidence. So far this year, the biggest operational challenge facing Irish Ferries and other operators worldwide was the International Maritime Organization’s mandatory reduction of sulphur in fuel oil from 1 January 2020. “Ship operators cannot keep absorbing the burden of additional costs, so we’ve all accepted that we have to pass this on and so we’ve introduced environmental charges across all our customer bases,” says Sheen. However, Sheen remains upbeat. “We see a potential for growth in ferry travel, as consumers will increasingly challenge the environmental impact of aviation in particular, and we have already seen the ‘flight shame’ anti-flying movement,” he says. “The UK has started a ‘Flight Free 2020’ campaign, and other countries are also starting their own initiatives, so this presents an opportunity for us to ensure that we sell the many benefits of ferry travel to consumers.” CFR “We see potential for growth in ferry travel as consumers challenge the environmental impact of aviation”