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2026 Newsketter week 05

Feb 02
3

Port of Klaipėda: Strong RoRo and Ferry Growth in 2025

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The Port of Klaipėda reported another record year in 2025, handling 39 million tonnes of cargo despite ongoing geopolitical pressures.

RoRo and Ferry Highlights

  • RoRo cargo: 6.5 million tonnes (+6%)
  • Ferry vehicles handled: 353,759, a new all-time record
  • Growth supported by:
    • TT-Line’s direct weekend Travemünde–Klaipėda services
    • Increased DFDS frequency on Klaipėda–Karlshamn
    • New links to Trelleborg and Travemünde

Passenger and Ferry Traffic

  • International ferry passengers: 415,000 (+9%)
  • Curonian Spit (*) ferries carried:
    • 9 million passengers
    • 358,400 vehicles (one-way)

Wider Port Context (Brief)

  • Container traffic reached 1.31 million TEU (+22%)
  • LNG volumes rose to 2.4 million tonnes (+19%)
  • Vessel calls fell by 3%, showing increasing efficiency with larger ships

Klaipėda further strengthened its position as the leading Baltic port, with rising market share and continued growth in ferry-driven RoRo activity.

(*) Curonian Spit is a 98km long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea.

Photo: 2025 was truly a successful year for the Port of Klaipėda – 39 million tonnes of cargo were handled.

Source: Port of Klaipeda

Feb 02
3

Strong Cruise Performance and Stable Ferry Traffic at the Port of Tallinn in 2025

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  • 3 million passengers passed through Port of Tallinn in 2025, up 1% year on year.
  • Growth was driven mainly by cruise calls and cruise passenger numbers, while ferry traffic remained stable.

Key Ferry Routes

  • Tallinn–Helsinki remained dominant with 7.3 million passengers (+1.3%).
    • Operated by Tallink, Viking Line and Eckerö Line (7 vessels).
    • FINLANDIA was the most popular ship, chosen by 26% of passengers.
  • Long-haul passenger growth was strong, especially from China (+56% to 90,000+), Japan, the US and the UK.
  • Muuga–Vuosaari handled 195,000 passengers, with very high vehicle occupancy and capacity expansion under review.
  • Paldiski–Kapellskär traffic rose 46% to 42,500 passengers, supported by SUPERFAST IX.
  • Tallinn–Stockholm carried 495,000 passengers (-12%), reflecting reduced capacity (one vessel instead of two).

Cruise Highlights

  • Tallinn welcomed 118 cruise calls (+18), bringing nearly 190,000 cruise passengers.
    • Main markets: Germany (44%), US (27%), UK (14%).
    • US cruise passenger numbers doubled year on year.
  • 50 different cruise ships visited, including 11 first-time calls.
  • Winter cruising expanded, with 15,588 passengers arriving in November–December.

Outlook

Port of Tallinn expects continued growth in both ferry and cruise segments in 2026, supported by positive global tourism trends.

Feb 02
3

Menorca: Baleària, GNV and Trasmed Meet Island Council on Sustainable Connectivity

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The top executives of Baleària, GNV and Trasmed met with the President of the Menorca Island Council to reinforce institutional cooperation and support coordinated public policies on sustainable island connectivity.

The three operators reiterated their willingness to contribute constructively to discussions on transport and tourism models, balancing connectivity needs with the protection of the island and the daily life of residents.

They also offered to provide operational data and sector expertise to help shape effective mobility solutions.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to maintain ongoing dialogue, underlining that all affected stakeholders must be involved in structural debates on the future of sustainable connectivity for Menorca.

Source: Baleària

Feb 02
3

New CGT Strike Will Cover All Vessels of Corsica Linea and La Méridionale

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The French “CGT Marins” union issued notice of a renewable strike from 2 February, signalling continued tension over market structure and employment guarantees. The strikes will affect the services from Corsica Linea and La Méridionale.

Most CGT actions over the last five years have centred on territorial continuity, labour protection, and opposition to competition from Italian-flag operators in the Corsica market.

CGT protests (again) to authorisations granted to Italian-flag competitors, notably GNV on France–Maghreb routes and Corsica Ferries on Corsica services outside the public-service framework.

There was industrial action earlier this month linked to the planned sale of the RoPax KALLISTE to Turkish breakers.

Feb 02
3

Further Growth on the Middle Rhine: FRS Acquires Niederheimbach–Lorch Ferry Service

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FRS Rhine Ferries continues its expansion on the Middle Rhine. The company has acquired the long-established ferry operator Schnaas GmbH, which has connected Lorch and Niederheimbach since 1892.

This marks FRS’s third acquisition in the region in just over a year, following the takeovers of the Ingelheim–Oestrich-Winkel route (December 2024) and the St. Goar–St. Goarshausen connection (January 2025).

Source: FRS Rheinfähren