- Increase in passenger numbers, but a decrease in carried cargo units.
- Passenger numbers increased the most on the Tallinn-Stockholm route by 77% compared to Q1 2022 when BALTIC QUEEN operations were temporarily suspended due to travel restrictions, and on the Tallinn-Helsinki route by nearly 47% with greater route capacity this year with three shuttles operating on the route during the quarter.
- The number of cargo units transported decreased compared to last year due to several of the company’s vessels being chartered out.
- The most significant reduction in carried cargo units is evident on the Finland-Sweden routes and is the result of the chartering out of the company’s Turku-Stockholm route vessel GALAXY and the technical dockings of the company’s Finland-Sweden routes’ vessels SILJA SERENADE, SILJA SYMPHONY and BALTIC PRINCESS all during Q1 2023.
Tallink published its annual report, audited.
Ferry Shipping News presented the unaudited version on 24 February 2023. [link]
Outlook
- Rebuild and recovery of core routes between Estonia, Finland and Sweden, and ensuring an optimal growth of these core routes in the future.
- Pay close attention to the passenger numbers and occupancy levels of the ships in regular traffic. Changes in operations if there is a clear need to do so.
- Monitor the need for short- and long-term vessel chartering and, if the timing and opportunity are right, carry on with the successful chartering projects, which have helped Tallink to keep its nose above water during the COVID-19 years and thereafter.
- Stronger focus than ever before on sustainability. New environmental regulations and directives, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and amendments to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) taking effect in the very near future.
During the latter part of Q4, the company’s passenger operations have
performed better than expected, which has improved the company’s results.
In the previous outlook, uncertainty factors such as the geopolitical situation and its impact on energy prices, inflation, interest rates and currencies have been cited as having a negative impact on the result.
These have not had as strong an impact as previously feared.
Viking Line Abp assesses that the operating result for 2022 will be slightly better than 2021
and that the result before taxes is expected to be on par with 2021.
The previous view was that operating income was expected to be somewhat worse than for 2021.