News / Pride of Canterbury approved to return to Dover-Calais operations

A third P&O vessel on the critical ferry trade between Calais and Dover has passed its safety inspection by the UK’s Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA).

An MCA spokesperson said: “The inspection on board the Pride of Canterbury has been completed and the vessel can commence operations. There are no further inspections of P&O Ferries at the moment, but we will reinspect when requested.”

The Pride of Canterbury will join Spirit of Britain and Pride of Kent on the Dover to Calais trade, bringing a welcome and significant increase in the ferry operator’s capacity as the summer season approaches.

The MCA has inspected and passed as safe Pride of Hull (operating Hull-Rotterdam), Norbay (Liverpool-Dublin), Pride of Kent and Spirit of Britain (Dover-Calais), Norbank, Pride of Rotterdam and European Causeway (Cairnryan-Larne) and European Highlander (Cairnryan-Larne) since P&O Ferries sacked all its seafarers in late February.

There is one other P&O ferry that has not yet been inspected, said the MCA.