DFDS is celebrating 25 years of its Dover to Dunkirk ferry service. The service was launched in its current form in 2000, initially carrying only freight, and later expanding to include passengers. It was first operated by Norfolkline, part of the Maersk group of companies, but was acquired by DFDS in 2010.
In 2005 three sister D-Class ships were built specially for the route. It was the biggest investment by any company operating on the Channel routes for more than a decade. The ships are easily recognisable thanks to the signature large bow windows, which offer panoramic views of the English Channel for passengers.
The 34,500 gross ton ships carry up to 1,000 passengers, 200 cars and 120 freight vehicles, significantly increasing capacity from the 214 passengers carried by their predecessors. All three D-Class ships are operated by British crews working under the UK ship register.
At the time of its launch, the new service saw DFDS competing for traffic with companies running on the popular Dover to Calais route. When the company launched its own Calais service in January 2012, the Dunkirk route enabled it to offer more choice and flexibility to its passengers and freight customers.
To mark this milestone, the company is offering passengers special £25 day-trip fares throughout March for car travel on the route. Over the years, more than 43 million people have travelled on this service, which has become a cornerstone of DFDS’s operations.
The company is also honoring its long-serving staff who were instrumental in the launch. Among them are Wayne Bullen, Cheryl Hawes, and Catherine Van de Vyvere from the freight sales team, as well as Bertrand Demester from the marine and facilities team.
Looking to the future, DFDS is heavily investing in sustainability and innovation. It has ambitious plans to fully decarbonize its operations by 2050. Over the next five years, the company will allocate €1 billion to build six new battery-electric ships.
