March 1977 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

London-To-Belgium Jetfoil Service Set

P and O Ferries of London, England, has announced that it will introduce the first Boeing Jetfoil hydrofoil boat service in Europe on June 1.

The revenue charter service will link central London and Zeebrugge, Belgium, with times scheduled to allow direct rail connections to Brussels. The roundtrip service will use the Boeing Jetfoil Flying Princess, following completion of a more than twomonth Boeing demonstration of that hydrofoil in northern Europe.

The Flying Princess will carry 200 passengers from St. Katherine's Dock Pier, adjacent to the World Trade Center and near the famous landmark of Tower Bridge in London, to Zeebrugge in 3 hours 45 minutes. Although details are not yet firm, an adult single fare is expected to be $50 — a price between existing air and surface travel fares. Airlinetype meals will be provided onboard.

The new route will run daily including Sunday for an initial 12-month period with service throughout the week, including Sundays. It will be both a routeproving exercise and a feasibility assessment of the 110-ton Jetfoil under actual North Sea operating conditions. P and O also has an option to purchase Jetfoils, and is examining other possible routes on which a Jetfoil could complement existing services to provide faster, reliable sea travel with new standards of comfort and service.

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