P&O Ferries resume sailings from Cairnryan after protests
But there's confusion as they were initially due to sail from Thursday
Last updated 11th Apr 2022
P&O Ferries has resumed passenger sailings from Cairnyan on Monday amid confusion for passengers.
The operator told travellers on Sunday that "tourist travel" would not restart until Thursday.
But on Monday it posted on Twitter than it had resumed a three-services-per-day schedule for passengers and freight.
The DP World-owned company operated freight-only sailings on Sunday.
Protests were held on Friday with RMT union organiser Gordon Martin warning they would blockade the port allowing "nothing in and nothing out".
The European Causeway vessel it uses on the route between Cairnryan and Larne in Northern Ireland was detained by maritime officials last month.
This was due to safety concerns after the company sacked nearly 800 seafarers and replaced them with cheaper agency workers.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced on Friday that the boat had been released following a reinspection.
P&O Ferries has accused the MCA of carrying out inspections with "an unprecedented level of rigour".
The agency responded by insisting it works "in exactly the same robust way" for every ship.
The reduction in cross-Channel sailings has caused gridlock on major roads approaching the Port of Dover in recent days.