“Any option that doesn’t enable us to build five New Major Vessels now means our customers will be paying more for worsening service levels in the future as expected demand continues to grow. BC Ferries plays an essential role in BC's domestic supply chain, the growth of coastal economies, and the continued vibrancy of the provincial tourism industry. Based on our analysis, building five vessels now is the most prudent approach to supporting affordability, reliability, and the long-term sustainability of the ferry system.”
— Nicolas Jimenez, BC Ferries President and CEO
The need for five vessels is something our customers feel strongly about too. In a December 2024 survey of 2,000 customers, 95% of respondents agreed with the plan to add an additional vessel to the fleet. Our customers made it clear that moving forward with these investments is critical to improving their travel experience. Our vision for the future is clear - renew and grow our fleet to deliver what our customers expect and do that in a financially responsible way to keep fares as affordable as possible.
Building five vessels now is a critical investment
- The New Major Vessels will serve our busiest routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Each vessel will be capable of carrying up to 2,100 passengers and 360 vehicles, significantly improving service and capacity on our busiest sailings.
- Our aging fleet is stretched, with consecutive years of record-setting passenger volumes. BC's population is projected to increase up to 44% by 2046, according to BC stats, with demand for ferry travel expected to continue rising, yet major route capacity hasn’t meaningfully increased in nearly 30 years.
- Without these new vessels, we will exceed capacity on our Major Routes within the next decade, resulting in extensive delays in both the movement of goods and the opportunity for reasonable commutes for people living in these coastal communities.
- Sailings on the major routes—which on average generate over 82% of all customer fare revenues—ran at an average 92% capacity during the peak season in 2024, with many sailings fully booked days in advance. In just two months alone last summer, almost a quarter of a million customers were impacted by waits, many related to mechanical breakdowns of aging vessels.
- When ships are running at higher capacity, the potential for delays increases significantly. On-time performance has dropped to almost its lowest level in years because crews are taking additional time to squeeze extra vehicles on.
- Communities and the public are already facing the burden of sailing waits and cancellations when an old vessel is removed from service for repairs. The BC Trucking Association recently estimated that a single sailing cancellation can cost the sector well over $100,000—costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers. BC Ferries is an essential public service, and therefore it’s critical that we have the capacity to support the people, local economies, and the tourism industries of the communities we serve.
- With global shipbuilding costs already rising over 40% in just the past four years, delaying the procurement of these vessels would lead to significantly higher costs in the future, including for customers. The global procurement process, which we launched in September 2024 before the risk of current international economic uncertainties arose, has resulted in fixed-price bids, that we expect will provide greater cost certainty and reduce financial risk.
An aging fleet
- The necessary retirement of aging vessels means maintaining the status quo is no longer an option.
