Thank you to all the companies and subscribers that have provided us with information regarding the impact of the virus crisis.
We have produced this overview. As things change fast, we cannot guarantee that the information is up to date. Nor is this an attempt to be complete. Please check the respective websites.
Balearia
Baleària has submitted an ERTE (expediente de regulación temporal de empleo) for 30% of its workforce, which affects 544 people.
The crisis has caused that of the 32 ships owned by the company, 20 are inactive and the remaining 12 operate with reduced crews, transporting only goods and their drivers.
The company said that all April salaries would be paid as normal.
The ferries are an important lifeline for the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.
BC Ferries
BC Ferries is adjusting the schedule on the Metro Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Southern Gulf Islands and Victoria (Swartz Bay) – Southern Gulf Islands routes effective April 10.
DFDS
- CALAIS SEAWAYS has been laid up in Calais.
- The Gothenburg Ro-Ro terminal will be hit by loss of business during the Covid-19 crisis. As the trade union, in contrast to other employees in Sweden, refuses to go on leave based on the Swedish Short- Time Work Allowance, management has no alternative to starting negotiations on staff reductions to bring the terminal through the Covid-19 crisis. More in DFDS News.
Hellenic Coastal Shipping “Struggles” to Avoid Collapsing
Hellenic Coastal shipping is on the verge of collapse. In the last 4 weeks, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, crews and employees were suspended, routes were stopped, ships were moored, speeds were reduced, and the majority of the ferry sailing have been cut. The situation is shocking:
- Golden Star Ferries stopped all its sailings and its entire fleet is inactive
- The Attica Group has stopped BLUE STAR PAROS and DIAGORAS sailings to the Aegean islands
- BLUE STAR DELOS serve only four of seven routes
- BLUE STAR NAXOS makes the afternoon route Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Small Cyclades
- BLUE STAR MYCONOS stopped one of her Monday sailings from Piraeus to Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos and then continues to Chios-Lesvos-Kavala which is subsidized only every Tuesday and Friday
- The lines of Crete are served only by 4 instead of 7 large ferries and the Cretan ferry operators cut and resumed sailings
- Sea Speed Lines’ OLYMPUS stop sailings on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Rethymnon run
- The Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line is served with only 3 routes per week instead of 14
- The Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line is served with 3 routes instead of 6
- The Ikaria-Samos run is served with 2 routes instead of 3
- Seajets’ SUPER JET has stopped sailings on the Piraeus-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini run
- BLUE STAR DELOS and NISSOS CHIOS have reduced their speed from 25 knots to 18 knots
- The High-Speed Crafts summer season introduction was transferred from the Easter to late May or early June, while some of them may not be launched in 2020
- In the Patras-Italy service, there is a 35% to 40% reduction in the transportation of trucks since 70% of the production in Italy has stopped.
The Hellenic Coastal shipping is a seasonal sector and if it does not work during the summer period will not survive next year. For that reason, injections of liquidity will be needed soon as ferry companies such as Attica and ANEK Lines will need capitals to operate. On the other hand, Minoan Lines may have repaid its loans but it can also rely on the Grimaldi Group’s liquidity and its small presence in the Hellenic Coastal Shipping. The small and medium-sized ferry companies are also a step before the collapse and have to be financially supported either by the state either by their owners.
The Hellenic Ministry of Shipping, is currently working on a new package of measures which may include front-loaded financial support up to EUR 15 million, depending on the size of each company. That second package of measures is mainly based on:
- the aforementioned financial aid which can even reach the EUR 30 million, after the relevant estimations by the Ministries of Finance and Development are completed
- the expansion of the public service itinerary which will proceed as many of the popular commercial lines are not that profitable anymore
- the broader effort that is being made at a European level in order to ensure a broader assistance for the coastal ferry sector. However, this European financial support can only be given after the losses have been estimated completely.
Written by Spyridon Roussos
Hurtigruten
Operations on the Norwegian coast will be suspended through May 20. As of now, the first scheduled round trip departure from Bergen will be on May 21.
Irish Republic
The Irish Government is to set aside a EUR 15 million emergency package in order to ensure the continued operation of five ferry routes between Ireland and the UK, and Ireland-France.
The “public service obligation routes” are Rosslare-Cherbourg, Rosslare-Bilbao, Rosslare-Pembroke, Rosslare-Fishguard and Dublin-Cherbourg.
The ferry companies involved are Irish Ferries, Stena Line and Brittany Ferries.
The funds will cover a minimum three-month period in order to ensure the continuity of the services.
P&O Ferries
- Larne – Cairnryan service is reducing from up to 7 sailings to up to 4
- Hull – Zeebrugge is going from 2 ropax ships to a single ship operation.
- PRIDE OF BURGUNDY and PRIDE OF CANTERBURY are at anchor at the Calais anchorage.
- The company asked the government for a GBP 150 million bailout, after passenger numbers dried up. The income from its 8.4 million passengers a year normally subsidises its income from freight. The crisis has plunged P&O Ferries into a £250,000 daily loss.
- Media reports say that owner DP World is prepared to pour money into P&O Ferries if the UK Government injects the 150 million.
Stena Line (1)
Stena Line has announced that it plans to furlough 600 employees with 150 redundancies across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Those furloughed maintain 80% of salaries.
The announcement of furlough and redundancies relates to both UK and Ireland shored-based and sea-based employees, including those working on vessels on the Irish Sea and North Sea. It follows a reduction of the number of sailings on several routes; several vessels have also been taken out of service.
On Monday, 16 March, Stena Line announced redundancies that will affect 950 people employed in Scandinavia. A number of these employees have since also been furloughed. Further job losses have subsequently been made in Denmark and the Baltics.
The company is evaluating its operations in all regions and does not rule out that there could be further furlough, redundancy or changes to its current sailing schedules or routes.
Stena Line (2) Plans to Close the Trelleborg-Sassnitz Route
On Saturday 14 March Stena Line suspended the operation of the ferry route between Trelleborg in Sweden and Sassnitz in Germany until further notice.
On 8 April, the Company announced plans for the permanent closure of the route, including check-in areas and bordershop in Sassnitz.
In recent years, approximately 300,000 annual passengers travelled via Sassnitz-Trelleborg, while freight volumes and train traffic on the route have declined. Due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and following travel restrictions in Europe Stena Line has experienced a large decline in travel bookings and freight volumes. It is estimated that passenger figures will not recover until well into 2021. As a result of the significant reduction in revenue, the Company is forced to take tough decisions in order to cut costs and secure its vital supply lines of essential goods across Europe.
Stena Line has initiated discussions with the worker´s council (Betriebsrat) in Germany. The ferry SASSNITZ is laid up in Port of Mukran, Sassnitz, until further notice.
Stena Line is currently operating two ferry routes between Sweden and Germany, which are primarily carrying freight, and with a reduced passenger capacity.
- Trelleborg- Rostock with MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN and SKÅNE, 40 departures per week.
- Gothenburg-Kiel with STENA SCANDINAVICA and STENA GERMANICA, 12 departures per week.
Viking Line
Viking Line will interrupt passenger traffic arriving to Finland on ships leaving on or after 11 April, except freight and freight traffic. The limit is valid until 13 May
The restriction does not apply to passenger traffic leaving Finland.
Passenger traffic is possible on shipping routes between Åland and continental Finland.