THE Province's pioneering fast ferry operator SeaCat has, after all, pulled the plug on its Belfast-Troon
service - effectively bringing to an end the company's 12-year involvement on the north Irish Sea routes to
Scotland.
In a statement SeaCat said that staff representatives and unions had been unable to find a way to address
the "unacceptable loss of trading" that had been a feature of the marketplace in recent times.
Despite the growth of tourism to Northern Ireland and the strong economy, ferry routes across the North
Channel had experienced flat volumes of passengers and cars, added the company.
Traffic had increasingly moved to budget airlines who were providing more and more short break options - a
shift and impact prompted and encouraged by the Air Route Development Fund, claimed SeaCat.
The company says that this shortage of revenue combined with the impact of higher fuel costs left it
with no option but to close its operation.
Diane Poole, General Manager of SeaCat, said: "It is a sad day for SeaCat, who pioneered fast ferry travel on
the Irish Sea in 1992. "Since that time the travel industry has undergone immense change.
"As a dynamic company, we are proud of the huge contribution we have made to tourism and the Northern
Ireland economy."
The future of SeaCat's operations between the Province and Scotland had been in serious doubt for some time.
Just a year ago, in a bid to reduce its overheads and improve profitability, the company switched to a
seasonal operation.
This effectively closed its Belfast-Troon service during the winter months. At the time, the General Consumer Council said it was
not surprised by the seasonal revelations. The Council pointed to its 2004 report, 'Summer
Sailings', which highlighted intense competition between ferry companies and no-frills airlines.
The GCC added that closure of the SeaCat service would lead to reduced passenger choice.
Diane Poole continued: "I would take this opportunity to thank and praise the staff who have shown so much
commitment and loyalty over the years they have worked for the company.
"We have received many phone calls, letters and e-mails over the past weeks from people sharing our
disappointment and I would like to thank the public and our many passengers who have supported and used
the SeaCat service." Travellers who had booked with SeaCat's Troon service for the coming summer are receiving refunds, while the
closure has resulted in the loss of 45 jobs, 41 in Belfast.
SeaCat said it was endeavouring to offer as many of them as possible alternative jobs within the company.
A Spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise rejected any suggestion that assistance to new air
routes provided by Air Route Development Fund had contributed to the SeaCat decision.