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sandra

Feb 27
Love3

Storms Reduce Ferry Rotations In The Strait

By 2026 Newsletter week 09

A succession of severe storms at the start of 2026 significantly disrupted ferry operations in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Ferry rotations fell by 15%, with temporary line suspensions due to adverse weather conditions.

Traffic Impact (January)

  • Passengers: 384,350 (-4%)
  • Vehicles: 89,935 (-3%)
  • Trucks: 40,825 (-10%)

Active booking remains mandatory for trucks bound for Tanger Med with the four operating ferry companies.

Operational Response

Baleària operated extraordinary weekend sailings with BAHAMA MAMA and reinforced capacity with SICILIA to support recovery.

Measures were coordinated through a Crisis Cabinet involving authorities on both shores to rebalance tractor units and semi-trailers between the southern and northern sides of the Strait.

Sources: https://www.apba.es/estadisticas and José Galiano on Linkedin

Feb 27
Love3

45 Transport Organisations Urge Stronger EU Transport Budget

By 2026 Newsletter week 09

A coalition of 45 European transport organisations has issued an open letter to EU Member States, calling for a stronger transport budget under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034.

The signatories urge governments to increase the future Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) budget to at least €100 billion.

Strategic Infrastructure At The Core

According to the sector, a modern and resilient European transport network is essential to:

  • Strengthen Europe’s resilience and military preparedness
  • Reinforce industrial competitiveness
  • Safeguard supply chain sovereignty

While ambitions and investment needs are rising, the sector warns that structural underfunding and financing gaps persist.

The organisations argue that continued underinvestment risks undermining the EU’s broader strategic objectives.

MFF Discussions Underway

The appeal coincides with renewed discussions on the next MFF during the General Affairs Council meeting on 24 February.

The signatories are asking General Affairs and Finance Ministers to:

  • Safeguard sufficient EU funding for transport
  • Significantly reinforce the CEF instrument
  • Align budget allocations with strategic priorities

Ports Call For Action

European Sea Ports Organisation Secretary General Isabelle Ryckbost stressed that Europe cannot meet its strategic objectives without a strong transport backbone.

She underlined that ports, as gateways to global trade and pillars of economic and geopolitical resilience, stand ready to invest but require adequate European support.

The full open letter and list of signatories have been made available to EU Member States as part of the budget discussions.

Feb 27
Love3

AS Tallink Grupp Appoints Peep Jalakas As New CEO

By 2026 Newsletter week 09

The Supervisory Board of AS Tallink Grupp has appointed Peep Jalakas as Chairman of the Management Board. His three-year term will begin on 6 April 2026.

As of 27 February, Margus Schults steps down from the Group’s Management Board and will continue as CEO of Tallink Silja Oy in Finland.

Strategic Continuity

Supervisory Board Chairman Enn Pant said the appointment underlines Tallink’s ambition to:

  • Continue strategic growth
  • Strengthen competitiveness
  • Create long-term shareholder value

Given Jalakas’ financial-sector background, Schults will return full-time to Finland, leading Tallink’s Finnish operations.

Incoming CEO Background

Peep Jalakas (born 18 May 1985) has been a Management Board member of AS SEB Pank and Head of Corporate Banking since 2023.

Over a 20-year career at the bank, he has held several leadership roles, including responsibility for corporate client and credit teams.

Jalakas described the move as both an honour and a responsibility, noting his prior cooperation with Tallink during his banking career.

Management Board Composition

Current CEO Paavo Nõgene, who announced his resignation last week, will remain on the Management Board until 22 May 2026 to support the transition.

Following Jalakas’ appointment, the Management Board will comprise:

  • Peep Jalakas
  • Piret Mürk-Dubout
  • Elise Nassar
  • Harri Hanschmidt

The leadership change signals continuity combined with a stronger financial governance focus as Tallink navigates a competitive regional ferry market.

Feb 22
Love3

Tallink Grupp in 2025: Difficult but Satisfactory

By 2026 Newsletter week 08

AS Tallink Grupp has published its unaudited financial results for the 2025 financial year.

  • Revenue EUR 765 million
  • Loan and interest payments amounted to nearly EUR 113 million
  • EBITDA EUR 130 million
  • Net profit EUR 17.3 million
  • Tallink Grupp and its subsidiaries contributed EUR 97 million in taxes to the Estonian state budget. An additional EUR 12 million worth of CO₂ allowances will be surrendered to the state for the previous year.
  • At the end of the financial year, the Group operated 11 vessels, with three chartered out and additional three sold.
  • The company plans to continue paying dividends in the current year.

Paavo Nõgene, CEO of AS Tallink Grupp:

  • “Results were particularly affected by economic uncertainty in largest market, Finland.”
  • “In Estonia, the lack of state support for the maritime sector further strains our business operations and places us at a competitive disadvantage compared to neighboring countries.”
  • “The sale of three vessels supported cost‑base optimization. We have consistently reduced our debt burden and will continue to prioritize this going forward.”
  • CONCLUSION: “Considering all circumstances, the year can be described as difficult but, with reservations, satisfactory.”

Statistics

  • 5 million pax (-0.9%)
  • 6 million pax on Estonia–Finland (+1.8%)
  • 4 million pax on Finland–Sweden (-2.4%)
  • 245,000 cargo units (-19.2%)
  • 760,000 passenger vehicles (-2.2%)

Environmental

In 2025, shuttle vessels began bunkering biomethane.

CEO Nõgene hopes that sufficient fuel will remain available at a reasonable price. “We have already reached three‑quarters of our biomethane supply target.”

Click on the image to access the 2025 report

Feb 22
Love3

DFDS Full Year: Turnaround Gains to Drive 2026 Earnings Improvement

By 2026 Newsletter week 08

Positive trend

  • Financial performance started to turn around in Q4 2025 as the underlying result was above 2024 adjusted for non-comparable items.
  • DFDS closed the year with strong cash flow performance.
  • The Mediterranean ferry network turned profitable again in Q4 2025 and is expected to continue to improve profitability in 2026.
  • The Nordic and Continent logistics business units also improved performance driven to a large extent by the Boost turnaround projects.

These positive developments more than offset lower results in a few other areas.

  • Slowdown in Channel ferry market volumes, even though onboard spending continued to grow.
  • Cost coverage continued to be an issue in the quarter as competitive pressures prevented setting fully matching price increases.
  • A cost reduction programme of DKK 300m was initiated in November 2025, with 400 office-based colleagues were made redundant.
  • A DKK 97m redundancy cost is consequently reported in Q4 2025. During 2026, further specific cost reduction initiatives will be realised to deliver a targeted total cost reduction of DKK 300m.

 

Outlook 2026 

  • Revenue expected to be around level with 2025.
  • EBIT guided at DKK 800–1,100m (2025: DKK 520m).
  • Mediterranean and Channel ferry networks expected to improve earnings.
  • Nordic and Continent logistics to benefit from full-year impact of 2025 turnaround projects.
  • Operating capex expected at around DKK 1.7bn; no new ferry newbuild capex planned.
  • Adjusted free cash flow expected to be above zero.
  • Outlook subject to economic uncertainty, including ~1% expected EU GDP growth and geopolitical risks.

Click on the picture to access the report

Feb 22
Love3

Two New RoRo’s – A Major Step Forward for Godby Shipping

By 2026 Newsletter week 08

Godby Shipping has taken a significant leap by ordering two Stream RoRo 1700 vessels — with options for two more — at CIMC Raffles.

This is more than fleet renewal. It is a decisive move to scale capacity and strengthen environmental performance.

At a glance:

  • 125 m x 24 m
  • 1,700 lane metres
  • ~6,200 dwt
  • Three cargo decks + stern ramp

Developed with Technolog Services, the vessels will deliver 70–100% more cargo capacity than MIMER and MIDAS — with similar fuel consumption.

Efficiency and future readiness are central:

  • Advanced CFD optimisation
  • Shore power connection
  • Batteries for emission-free port stays
  • Prepared for waste heat recovery and methanol

Steel cutting starts in 2027. Deliveries are scheduled for 2028–2029.

Feb 22
Love3

Samskip Agrees To Sell To CLdN Its UK and Ireland Quay-To-Quay and Door-To-Door Freight Business

By 2026 Newsletter week 08

CLdN will acquire Samskip’s quay-to-quay and door-to-door freight business between the Continent and the UK & Ireland.

  • Includes container services between Rotterdam and UK ports (Belfast, Blyth, Grangemouth, Hull, Tilbury) and Irish ports (Cork, Dublin, Waterford).
  • Network currently performs more than 1,000 port calls per year.
  • Covers door-to-door multimodal operations linking the UK & Ireland with continental Europe.
  • Transfer of leases for 5,000+ multimodal cargo units, including 45ft pallet-wide containers, reefers and flat racks.
  • Supplier agreements for road, rail, barge, vessel sharing and port operations to move to CLdN.
  • Strengthens CLdN’s short-sea container offering alongside its RoRo activities.
  • Expands scale and network reach, particularly towards Central & Eastern Europe.
  • Regulatory and competition approval required before closing.
  • Financial details not disclosed.

Source: CLdN and Samskip

Feb 22
Love3

Wasaline: AURORA BOTNIA Achieves World’s Largest Battery Capacity for a RoPax Vessel

By 2026 Newsletter week 08

AURORA BOTNIA has completed sea trials following a major battery upgrade and now features the largest battery capacity ever installed on a RoPax vessel worldwide.

The vessel’s battery capacity has been expanded from 2.2 MWh to 12.6 MWh. The upgraded system has been approved for operation in traffic by DNV.

The new batteries, supplied by marine battery manufacturer AYK Energy, can store nearly five times more energy than the previous battery packs. This significantly enhances the vessel’s:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Operational flexibility
  • Environmental performance

AYK Energy previously supplied the Brittany Ferries E-Flexers SAINT-MALO and GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE with battery packs very close but just below AURORA BOTNIA’s capacity.

Feb 22
Love3

Kerkyra Lines Purchases FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I

By 2026 Newsletter week 08

According to recent information, Kerkyra Lines has proceeded with the purchase of the hydrofoil vessel FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I. The same sources indicate that FLYING DOLPHIN 17 will also join Kerkyra Lines.

The vessel has been renamed PAXOS ISLAND II and is expected to depart for the island of Corfu in the coming days. She previously served on the Piraeus–Aegina–Agistri route and belonged to Aegean Flying Dolphins.

She was built in Georgia in 1981 by Ordzhonikidze Works. Her capacity is 100 passengers, and she operates at speeds of up to 30 knots.

Photo: Mike Louagie

Feb 22
Love3

Seajets’ RoRo CABO Arrives in Greece

By 2026 Newsletter week 08

On 19 February 2026, Seajets’ recent acquisition RoRo CABO (ex-CABO STAR, FINNFOREST, ANTARES / 1988) arrived at the port of Piraeus and berthed at Saint George (Molos DEH).

The vessel was purchased in January from the Canadian company Bridgemans Services Group and represents Seajets’ first step into the RoRo sector in Greece.

Built in Gdansk, Poland, in 1988 for Fincarriers, the vessel has a capacity of 130 passengers and 2,500 lane metres (approximately 130 trailers). Service speed is 21 knots.

Photo: Petros Psarras