AS Tallink Grupp has signed a charter agreement for the passenger vessel SUPERFAST IX.

• A replacement vessel will be sought for the Paldiski–Kapellskär route
• The company emphasises this is optimisation, not a capacity reduction

CEO Paavo Nõgene stated that the charter will provide stable cash flow. He added that SUPERFAST IX is not ideally suited to the route due to her large passenger capacity.

The vessel will be handed over on 1 May in Tallinn. Until then, she will continue operating between Estonia and Sweden.

• Charter period: 3 years
• Extension option: +2 years
• Purchase option included

Before delivery, SUPERFAST IX will undergo scheduled maintenance at Turku Repair Yard (Naantali) from 3 to 18 April.

If you wonder why this vessel has created so much fuzz in French media, then read this. Tallink’s initial press release (26/3) stated that the vessel would go to Hibernia Line. This Dublin-based unlimited company (https://chamber.corkchamber.ie/list/member/hibernia-line-unlimited-company-24864) is expected to run a service between Cork and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Surprise: An updated version of the Tallink press release no longer mentions Hibernia Line.

Hibernia Line also removed a rendering of the ferry on the website https://hibernia-line.com/.

The Hibernia Line project is said to involve two vessels. Industry sources suggest AKKA. The same sources speak about a mid-June start of the operations.