Finnish-based ferry operator, Eckerö Line’ passenger volume and freight business developed strongly in the first nine months of this year, especially in the third quarter, when passenger and freight volumes broke records.
Operating on the Helsinki/Tallinn route, the company increased its passenger volume by almost 6% in the 3Q24, compared to the same period in 2023.
In addition, the number of passengers carried broke the company’s previous records in June, July and August In January/September, Eckerö transported close to 1.6 mill passengers on its route (‘Finlandia’ was out of service for almost five weeks, due to docking in January/February 2024).
“The development in 2024 has been very positive, and we are particularly pleased that passenger records have been broken. Customer experience and customer satisfaction are key factors in our business. Another proof that we have succeeded, in addition to the passenger record, is that Finnish passengers voted Eckerö Line first for the second year in a row in a survey measuring customer satisfaction in shipping between Finland and Estonia,” said Eckerö Line CEO, Taru Keronen.
“When the business is located in the Baltic Sea, sustainable shipping is a prerequisite for operations. During ‘Finlandia’s’ extensive docking at the beginning of the year, the ship’s rudder and propeller arrangements were renewed to reduce fuel consumption. As a result, ‘Finlandia’s’ fuel consumption during the first six months of 2024 has decreased by more than 12%, compared to the corresponding time in 2023,” Keronen added.
The company’s freight market share continued to grow in 2024. Due to ‘Finlandia’s’ almost five-week long docking at the beginning of the year, the growth largely took place during the third quarter of the year. The market share in July/September was just over 44%, compared to 39% in July/September 2023.
Of all the cargo transported by Eckerö Line, 60% goes from Vuosaari to Muuga in Estonia.
“The Vuosaari/Muuga route has continued to grow in popularity. ‘Finbo Cargo’, which operates from Vuosaari, also transports car passengers and the occupancy rate is very high. The route from Vuosaari helps to avoid traffic congestions in the city centres of Helsinki and Tallinn,” Keronen exoplained.
At the beginning of the year, two of the Group’s vessels – ‘Finlandia’, operating between Finland and Estonia, and ‘Eckerö’, operating between Åland and Sweden – underwent significant renovations. As a result, the number of departures during the first half of the year decreased by 6%, compared to the previous year.
Despite the dockings, passenger numbers reached record highs on both the Finland/Estonia and Åland/Sweden routes, the company claimed.
The Group’s revenue for January/September amounted to €171.7 mill, which is in line with the corresponding period in 2023 (€171.5 mill). The operating profit for the period was €20.3 mill (€20.5 mill).
