France promises €30 million to Channel ferries hurt by travel restrictions

Half of the package will go to a single company, Brittany Ferries, whose passenger numbers dwindled to 200,000 in July and August from 780,000 a year earlier, Castex told parliament.

This “exceptional effort” would allow the company to navigate “an extremely difficult course,” he said.

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The subsidy will take the form of a repayment of a year's worth of payroll taxes, he said.

Since Britain imposed a quarantine on several countries including France, the company has received some 65,000 cancellations for September and October.

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Brittany Ferries closed several routes between France and England as passenger numbers plunged, and has already used the government's furlough measures to cut costs, as well as a state-backed €117-million-loan.

This month the government mandated restructuring experts to examine the company's situation and propose long-term solutions to make it viable again.

Brittany Ferries employs more than 3,000 people during high season.