All Posts By

sandra

Aug 24
Love3

Baleària Moves Closer to Own Ferry Terminal in Valencia

By 2026 Newsletter week 34

Baleària has moved a step closer to securing its own passenger and freight terminal at the Port of Valencia after no competing proposals were submitted during the one-month public consultation period.

The Port Authority of Valencia (APV) will now proceed with preparing the concession terms and processing the project before a final decision by its Board of Directors.

Baleària is seeking a 35-year concession for an 80,704 m² site at the South Dock, close to its current operations at the Turia Dock. The new facility would be dedicated exclusively to ferry passengers and freight.

The project replaces an earlier terminal concession awarded in 2022 and cancelled by APV in November 2025 as part of plans to reconsider the integration of passenger-port activities with the city.

Unlike the previous €100 million project, which also included cruise traffic and involved a partner, the new proposal is being developed by Baleària alone and has a smaller footprint.

Aug 24
Love3

New Expian Report Says Ferry Operators Should Focus on AI Readiness before AI Adoption

By 2026 Newsletter week 34

Expian has published a new report advocating ferry operators to focus on modernising their booking systems and data infrastructure before investing in AI.

The report, AI on the Horizon: The Ferry Operator’s Guide to Modernising the Booking Experience, notes that the maritime AI market was valued at £4.13 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a 23% compound annual growth rate by 2029, citing Lloyd’s Register.

Despite growing interest in AI, Expian argues that many operators are still constrained by legacy booking platforms and fragmented data, limiting their ability to benefit from emerging technologies.

“Rushing to add complexity or tick a tool off your checklist is a recipe for disaster,” said Yiannis Maglaras, CEO of Expian. “AI-readiness is about understanding your system today and what you want it to do for you tomorrow.”

The report identifies four pillars of AI readiness: connected data, flexible infrastructure, organisational readiness, and governance. It also outlines how modern ticketing platforms could enable dynamic pricing, personalised offers, automated disruption management and conversational booking, while warning that deploying AI on top of legacy systems could increase operational and compliance risks.

Click for the full report is available to download here 

Aug 24
Love3

Charles-Henry de Lignac to Lead La Méridionale

By 2026 Newsletter week 34

Charles-Henry de Lignac will become Managing Director of La Méridionale on 1 September, succeeding Étienne Melliani, who was appointed in January 2026.

Melliani will remain within the CMA CGM Group and is reportedly set to join its Mediterranean Short Sea Lines activities.

De Lignac, who has previously held management responsibilities at La Méridionale, becomes the company’s fourth Managing Director in around three years. The company says his appointment will ensure continuity of ongoing projects and support its next phase of development.

The management change comes as La Méridionale prepares for the delivery of two new 180-metre LNG-powered RoPax vessels in the first quarter of 2027. The ships, intended for services between mainland France and Corsica, will accommodate 1,000 passengers and freight.

Aug 24
Love3

Jarosław Kotarski Appointed President of PŻB

By 2026 Newsletter week 34

Polska Żegluga Bałtycka (PŻB), operating under the Polferries brand, has appointed Jarosław Kotarski as President of its Management Board. He took up the position on 19 August, succeeding Piotr Redmerski.

Kotarski brings extensive maritime and ferry experience. A graduate of the Maritime University of Szczecin, he has worked within the Polska Żegluga Morska group since 1993. He previously headed Unity Line and served in senior management positions at Żegluga Polska.

Remark (source: gospodarkamorska.pl): Redmerski was dismissed due to changes in the management structures of the shipping companies and the need to separate responsibilities within PŻB in connection with the establishment of the POLSCA brand by PŻB, PŻM, and EuroAfrika.

Aug 24
Love3

CMAL Calls for Continuous Investment in Scotland’s Ferry Network

By 2026 Newsletter week 34

CMAL CEO Kevin Hobbs has called for ferry investment in Scotland to become a continuous programme rather than a series of stop-start investment cycles.

With new vessels entering service, seven electric ferries under construction and further projects progressing, CMAL expects half of the Clyde and Hebrides fleet to be renewed by the end of the decade. Once the vessels currently under construction enter service, the average fleet age should fall below 15 years.

Hobbs stresses that maintaining this momentum requires long-term planning. A ferry typically takes around five years from concept design to entering service, meaning vessels required beyond 2030 need to be planned and procured now.

The same approach is needed for ports, with continuous investment required for maintenance, shore power, electrification and future decarbonisation.

Read Kevin Hobbs’ full perspective:

From the Helm: Maintaining Momentum Through Continuous Investment (Linkedin)

Aug 24
Love3

Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar OPE 2026

By 2026 Newsletter week 34

The main OPE 2026 trends through 15 August are:

  • Overall traffic remains slightly below 2025: passengers -3.1%, vehicles -2.1% in the completed outbound phase.
  • Fewer sailings (-6.0%) than last year, while traffic declined less sharply, pointing to higher average utilisation.
  • Algeciras is losing traffic, with outbound passengers down 7.6%; the Ceuta route is particularly weak.
  • Tarifa–Tanger Ville is the clear outperformer: outbound passengers +7.0% and vehicles +12.6%. Return traffic is also showing double-digit growth.
  • Almería is growing, while Motril is substantially down.
  • The key trend is therefore not simply declining OPE traffic, but a redistribution between ports and routes, with Tarifa gaining strongly.

Detailed OPE figures through 15 August in El Estrecho (in Spanish)

Aug 17
Love3

DFDS Launches Strategy Review As Q2 Earnings Improve

By 2026 Newsletter week 33

DFDS has launched a strategic review aimed at defining its long-term vision, positioning and priorities, as the group reported improved financial performance in Q2 2026.

“We have launched a strategy review to clarify our long-term vision, positioning, and priorities,” said Michael Hansen, CEO of DFDS. The review, including new financial ambitions, is expected to be completed within six months.

Hansen acknowledged that while DFDS is well positioned in most of its markets, its financial performance remains “far from where it should be”, making improved profitability a top priority.

In Q2, revenue increased 10% to DKK 8.6bn, while EBIT improved by DKK 291m to DKK 454m. Both the Ferry and Logistics divisions increased earnings compared with Q2 2025. Adjusted free cash flow reached DKK 728m and financial leverage improved to 3.4x NIBD/EBITDA.

DFDS also raised its 2026 outlook. Revenue growth is now expected at 3-5%, while the EBIT outlook has been narrowed upwards to DKK 1.2-1.4bn. Adjusted free cash flow is expected at around DKK 500m.

CO2e emission intensity across the total network increased by 2.0% during the quarter.

Read the Q2 2026 interim report here:

https://www.dfds.com/en/about/investors/reports-and-presentations/q2-report-2026

Aug 17
Love3

DFDS July Volumes

By 2026 Newsletter week 33

DFDS transported 3.5m freight lane metres in July 2026, down 3.2% compared with July 2025.

North Sea volumes were just below last year as growth on Continent–UK routes was offset by lower volumes out of Scandinavia. Mediterranean volumes declined due to a softer overall market and reduced capacity on certain routes, while Channel volumes were also below 2025.

Baltic Sea freight volumes remained stable. Strait of Gibraltar volumes increased, while growth continued on the Egypt route.

Over the last twelve months, freight volumes increased 0.3% to 41.8m lane metres, but decreased 0.5% when adjusted for route changes.

Passenger volumes decreased 1.6% in July to 752,000, mainly due to lower traffic on the Strait of Gibraltar. On a rolling twelve-month basis, passenger numbers were down 15.0%, or 5.1% adjusted for route changes.

Aug 17
Love3

Viking Line: Half Year Financial Report January – June 2026

By 2026 Newsletter week 33

Q2, 2026 

  • Sales amounted to EUR 129.3 M (EUR 128.4 M).
  • Other operating revenue was EUR 0.4 M (EUR 0.2 M).
  • Operating income totalled EUR 6.8 M (EUR 6.9 M).
  • Net financial items were EUR -5.9 M (EUR -2.0 M).
  • Income before taxes totalled EUR 0.9 M (EUR 4.8 M).
  • Income after taxes was EUR 0.8 M (EUR 4.8 M).

H1, 2026 

  • Sales amounted to EUR 214.0 M (EUR 215.8 M).
  • Other operating revenue was EUR 0.5 M (EUR 0.6 M).
  • Other operating income totalled EUR -12.0 M (EUR -11.2 M).
  • Net financial items were EUR -6.6 M (EUR -6.0 M).
  • Income before taxes totalled EUR -18.6 M (EUR -17.2 M).
  • Income after taxes was EUR -18.7 M (EUR -17.3 M).
  • Investments mainly in Viking Grace totalled EUR 11.0 M (EUR 12.4 M mainly in Gabriella and Viking XPRS).

Outlook for the financial year 2026

The Board of Directors has previously assessed that the uncertainty regarding cost levels, energy prices and market developments has been such that the Company has not provided any forecast for the full-year 2026 result.

The Board of Directors estimates that higher energy prices, both through their direct impact on the Group’s cost base and their indirect impact on consumer demand, together with weaker performance in the Group’s associated companies, will result in income before taxes for the 2026 financial year being lower than in 2025.

Aug 17
Love3

Bornholmslinjen Records Second-Best July

By 2026 Newsletter week 33

Bornholmslinjen recorded its second-best July ever, carrying 373,043 passengers to and from Bornholm, up 4.4% compared with July 2025. Car volumes increased 5.7% to 99,811 vehicles.

However, the strong traffic figures were accompanied by significant delays, resulting in a penalty of more than DKK 1.3 million for operator Molslinjen.

Commercial Director Lucas Kragh pointed to reconstruction works at the Port of Rønne and speed restrictions in Ystad as contributing factors. Molslinjen will conduct a deeper analysis of the delays after the high season.