Stafford: said Hoverspeed would promote Dieppe day trips
HOVERSPEED is looking to carry 400,000 passengers and 90,000 vehicles in its first season on the Newhaven-Dieppe route.
Its new service, which replaces the P&O Stena Line operation which ended on January 31, starts on April 10 and runs until October 31.
Hoverspeed is putting a SuperSeaCat on the route and expects to achieve a profit in seven months, despite losses by previous operators on the route.
Hoverspeed director David Stafford said: “We are going in with the right craft and the right cost base for this route. “We will be operating one terminal instead of separate ones for foot and car passengers as P&O Stena Line did. SuperSeaCat crosses in just 2hrs, so with up to three return crossings a day in the peak, we can promote day trips to Dieppe.”
Stafford said it is also an ideal route for passengers travelling to Paris as Dieppe is the nearest Channel port to the capital.
He added that this year Hoverspeed is looking for 10% growth on the 1m passengers and 300,000 cars carried on its Dover-Ostend service in 1998.
A new 1st motorists’ lounge will be available on the two catamarans on the route by April 1. Passengers paying for the upgraded service get priority loading and seat service.