Successful Launch of New RoPax for DFDS
The second of the new combined DFDS ferry for the Baltics was launched at the Guangzhou Shipyard on 13 November.
DFDS: Increasing Freight Earnings
- Q3 freight earnings are above 2019 levels
- Efficiency enhanced by adaptation of operations and business structure to market changes
- Travel restrictions lowered passenger numbers significantly (-70%)
- EBITDA 2020 outlook raised to DKK 2.5-2.7bn on 23 October
Q3, key figures (in DKK billion)
- -19.6% Revenue (3,598)
- -29.2% EBITDA before special items (846)
- -46.0% EBIT before special items (388)
- -49.9% Profit before tax and special items (324)
- -59.4% Profit before tax (262)
EBITDA for freight ferry and logistics activities was DKK 126m above 2019 in Q3. The ongoing adaptation of operations and the business structure to market conditions post Covid-19 has been instrumental in achieving the increase. Besides higher margins, some activities also succeeded in raising volumes.
The continued tightening of travel restrictions during Q3 lowered, on the other hand, the passenger result below expectations. In Q3, EBITDA for passenger services was thus DKK 445m below 2019. This result includes passenger services in three business units that provide such services – Passenger, Channel and Baltic Sea.
Outlook 2020
On 23 October 2020, the outlook for 2020 was raised as freight volumes have developed more positively than expected during and after Q3.
EBITDA before special items is expected to be DKK 2.5-2.7bn in 2020 up from the previous outlook of DKK 2.2-2.5bn included in the Q2 2020 report.
Ferry – freight:
- Total volumes in October were 2% above 2019 adjusted for the closure of the Paldiski-Hanko route
- North Sea volumes were above 2019 driven by stockbuilding ahead of Brexit.
- Automotive volumes continued to recover.
- Baltic Sea volumes were also above 2019, mainly due to additional capacity between Estonia and Sweden.
- Mediterranean volumes were increased by growth in export volumes from Turkey.
- Volumes on the English Channel were slightly below 2019.
Freight lane meters (,000)
- October 2020: +0.4% (4,130)
- Last 12 months: -3.9% (39,487)
Ferry – passenger:
- Total number of passengers in October 2020 was 84% below 2019.
- The decrease reflects a continued negative impact from travel restrictions related to Covid-19.
- In the Baltic Sea, passenger numbers were considerably less impacted.
Passengers (,000)
- October 2020: -83.8% (64)
- Last 12 months: -55.1% (2,302)
- DFDS’ outlook for 2020 has improved further as freight volumes in Q3 have developed more positively than expected. (both ferry and logistics activities).
- The continued tightening of travel restrictions have, on the other hand, reduced the number of passengers in Q3 below expectations.
- The outlook for freight volumes is expected to remain robust through Q4 and EBITDA before special items is therefore raised from DKK 2.2-2.5bn to DKK 2.5-2.7bn in 2020.
Eight New Calls Each Week at Port of Kapellskär
On October 4, 2020, DFDS increased its ropax service between Kapellskär (Sweden) and Paldiski (Estonia) from 14 to 22 calls each week. In addition to the current vessel, SIRENA SEAWAYS, the vessel PATRIA SEAWAYS has been added to the route, resulting in an additional eight calls each week. (see also our news from last week)
Transmanche Ferries Is in Survival Mode
Interview with Jean-Claude Charlo, Managing director of DFDS in France
- End of August: -64.3% 99,000 pax (278,000 passengers over the same period in 2019)
- Adapted capacity: since May 4 instead of 6 departures, followed by one ship laid up early September.
- Freight volume loss of 18.3% since 1/1/2020.
- Together with Brittany Ferries we fought to get State aid. But… we have to pay tax on this public money. In other words, we are going to have to give back what we have been given.
- Focused on: saving jobs of French crews
Route Paldiski (Estonia) – Kapellskär (Sweden)
- DFDS is increasing number of departures from 14 to 22 per week, as from 4 October.
- Extra ship: PATRIA SEAWAYS (photo) (assisting SIRENA SEAWAYS)
Route Paldiski (Estonia) – Hanko (Finland) to close.
Route Karlshamn (Sweden) – Klaipeda (Lithuania)
- DFDS is adding two weekly departures from both ports. Sailing times are reduced by up to an hour.
- The extra sailings will take place on Saturday and Sunday and bring the number of weekly departures up to 11 per week. (1 October)
- Ships: VICTORIA SEAWAYS, OPTIMA SEAWAYS, FINLANDIA SEAWAYS, ARK FUTURA
Route Zeebrugge – Gothenburg
- Newbuilt FLANDRIA SEAWAYS starts to operate from Zeebrugge.
Since 15 September, Grimaldi Group has a daily departure on Livorno-Palermo, in both directions. A second ferry has been added.
The additional ship deployed on the route is ropax CRUISE SMERALDA (2,000 lane meters, 1,500 pax, 100 cars).
She joins ZEUS PALACE (2,000 lane meters, 1,700 pax, 100 cars).
From now on, Smyril Line’s roro AKRANES will arrive every Sunday in Vlaardingen, coming from Norway. DFDS will handle the discharging and loading of trailers, containers and machinery. Then the ship will sail back to Stavanger, Trondheim, Rørvik and Hitra.
To support the DFDS network, the departure from Vlaardingen to Felixstowe will be delayed with one hour to offer customers a connection from Norway to the UK.
The Metal Maritime union and DFDS have agreed on a negotiated solution for most employees on the two Oslo ferries. The agreement ensures that the ferries can continue to operate on this route, in spite of the Norwegian quarantine rules causing a decrease in passenger numbers. Regretfully, 26 servers will be redundant.
