Perfect Debut for FRS’ High-Speed Craft SKÅNE JET

By | 2020 Newsletter week 39 | No Comments

FRS Baltic’s high-speed ferry SKÅNE JET made her commercial inaugural voyage on Thursday 17 September.

She sailed from the port of Sassnitz-Mukran to Ystad.

Initially the season will last until November 1. A restart is planned for April

Fjord Line’s former FJORD CAT was built by InCat in 1998. She offers the shortest (111km) and fastest (2h30m) crossing between Germany and Sweden.

Fjord Line is Preparing for Long-Time Effects of Corona

By | 2020 Newsletter week 38 | No Comments

“We are now preparing for the fact that it may take a long time before we return to normal operations,” says Rickard Ternblom, CEO of Fjord Line.

The effect of the measures that were taken before the summer with cash support, refinancing, internal restructuring and equity, is estimated at NOK 700 million in positive cash flow for 2020, and secures operations throughout this year. The company believes it shows that owners, banks, lenders and other suppliers and partners have great faith in the business model and the long-term goals.

Even with the authorities’ extended redundancy rules, compensation scheme and loan guarantee scheme, we will not escape the fact that employees will be affected. Up to 200 people will be laid off. Cost reductions are the only thing that helps when revenues fall as dramatically as what we have experienced in recent months, says Ternblom.

Border Restrictions Halve International Ferry Travel from Denmark

By | 2020 Newsletter week 37 | No Comments

Organisation Danish Shipping (Danske Rederier) has calculated that the total number of passengers for Scandlines, Fjord Line, ForSea and DFDS in June, July and August has largely been halved compared to the same period last year.

“The bad summer comes on top of a lost spring, and it would be naive to think that Danes, Germans, Swedes or Norwegians will start traveling as usual in the coming months. The situation at the borders is completely unpredictable, so the shipping companies are facing some challenging months, ”says Jacob K. Clasen, Deputy CEO.

At Scandlines, CEO Søren Poulsgaard Jensen believes that it is the border closure in particular that caused an impact.

Like other Danish ferry companies, Scandlines has used the government’s help packages to send employees home for salary compensation and help to cover fixed expenses. But the bad summer will still cost jobs in the shipping company, says Søren Poulsgaard Jensen to Søfart.

FERRY SHIPPING

By | 2020 Newsletter week 7 | No Comments

Fjord Line’s New Catamaran FSTR Launched

Fjord Line’s brand new high-speed catamaran ferry, FSTR, has been launched from Austal’s shipyard on the Philippines (Balamban, Cebu).

The ship will replace HSC FJORD CAT for the route between Kristiansand and Hirtshals, and will double the capacity of the fastest route between Norway and Denmark.

The fast vehicle-passenger ferry, to be known as FSTR, is the largest aluminium vessel ever launched in the Philippines – and the largest by volume ever constructed by Austal.

The vessel is now in the final stages of fit out, prior to delivery to Fjord Line in Q2.

FSTR (Hull 419) is capable of transporting 1,200 passengers at up to 40 knots and features Austal’s largest ever vehicle-carrying capacity constructed to date, with a beam of 30.5 metres enabling 404 cars to be carried across two decks. The ship features several key design innovations that enhance operating performance and passenger comfort, including a new, optimised hull form that will minimise fuel consumption and wake wash when operating on the Skagerrak Sea between Hirtshals and Kristiansand.

Fjord Line’s Board Of Directors Finds The Profit Development Satisfactory And Expects Further Improvement In 2019

By | 2019 Newsletter week 27 | No Comments

Compared with 2017 total revenues grew with a healthy 13% to MNOK 1,529.3 which again is a record for the Group. All business areas in the company contributed to this growth where both volumes and average rates increased across the board.

Passenger operations on Sandefjord-Strömstad developed especially strong following a refurbishment of the retail unit onboard OSLOFJORD.

After a troublesome season in 2017, Fjord Line recorded a sailing season without incidents on the route Kristiansand-Hirtshals.

Following the extensive docking program for sister vessels STAVANGERFJORD and BERGENSFJORD, the capacity increase realised through the addition of 64 new cabins and 114 further seats, lead to record volumes during July on Bergen-Hirtshals route.

Key figures

  • +8.4% Passengers
  • +7.8% Cars
  • +1.5% Freight
  • +12.5% Operating income = MNOK 1,529.3
  • +9.1% EBITDA = MNOK 335.5
  • +1 % Operating result (EBIT) = a profit of MNOK 123.9

Passenger Records For Fjord Line

By | 2019 Newsletter week 6 | No Comments

Fjord Line can look back on a record year with strong passenger growth in both Western Norway and Eastern Norway.

The largest growth in 2018 was the domestic route Stavanger-Bergen-Stavanger, with a 24% increase in the number of passengers (59,000).

Sandefjord-Strømstad also increased significantly – from 394,200 guests in 2017 to 458,900 in 2018. This corresponds to a growth of 16%.

Kristiansand-Hirtshals noted a total of 209,800 guests, an increase of around 4,000 passengers compared to 2017.

In total, the company carried 1,386,700 passengers in 2018, 8% more than in 2017.

“We already notice that the response from the market is good. We sail in the tailwind and expect that 2019 will be a new record year, ”says CEO Rickard Ternblom.

Fjord Line Is Not Allowed To Offer More Sailings

By | 2019 Newsletter week 5 | No Comments

Fjord Line is upset: the City Council of Sandefjord (Norway) has deprived the company of sailing times 07:00 and 13:30, as from next year. In practice, the decision means that Fjord Line will continue with the sailings they have today, departing Sandefjord 08:30 and 15:20.

Since the introduction of OSLOFJORD on the line between Sandefjord and Strømstad in 2014, Fjord Line says it was concerned about receiving an equal treatment (the competitor is Color Line).

Fjord Line has also requested the municipality to carry out upgrades in the port. Fjord Line guaranteed to cover all costs of the upgrade. Sandefjord declined the offer, without giving any justification, says Rickard Ternblom, CEO Fjord Line.

FERRY PORTS

By | 2018 Newsletter week 25 | No Comments

New Ferry Port In Sandefjord

Fjord Line has signed an agreement with paint manufacturer Jotun, for the use of the Vindal site as new terminal for in the port of Sandefjord, Norway. Vindal is an area on the “West Island” or “Vesterøy”. With a growth of 15% per year and the use of one or two ferries as from 2020, the company was looking for a port solution.

On the site, a terminal building, quays, parking spaces for private cars and trucks will be built. In and around a lot of attention will go to green areas. The port will also be available to other companies, such as competitor Color Line. The port will be organized as a separate company in the Fjord Line group. “Other shipping companies can purchase services of this port company on normal and transparent commercial terms,” says Fjord Line’s CEO Rickard Ternblom.

The new ferry harbour and terminal should be ready before 2025.

FERRY FINANCE

By | 2018 Newsletter week 22 | No Comments

Ferries And Ro-Ro Ships Are Strong Elements In Stena AB’s Q1

Stena AB has experienced a positive Q1 for the ferry division, and for the shipping division.
Ferry operations: EBITDA, excluding net gain on sale of assets, increased compared to last year due to continued positive volumes for cars (+7%), passengers (+6%) and freight (+3%).
Shipping: strong contract coverage and utilisation rate across the ro-ro fleet.