Different ways to St Petersburg
Since 2015, DFDS has been running its freight ferry service between Kiel (Germany) and St Petersburg (Russia) on a slot-charter basis in cooperation with Finnlines. In September 2017, DFDS streamlined its services from Kiel by cancelling its Ust-Luga call. From then on, the liner shipping service ran directly to St Petersburg on a weekly basis.
Finnlines has now informed DFDS that it will shortly cease sailings on the Kiel-St Petersburg route and consequently DFDS's space charter route will be terminated. Finnlines' turnover in the Russian business sector fell from EUR 10.5 million to EUR 7.7 million in 2017.
Overall, the shipping company, a Grimaldi Group affiliate, saw its turnover rise by almost 10% and profit growing by as much as 15% in 2018.
DFDS will maintain a sales organisation in St Petersburg as the Russian market will continue to be served by the company's Baltic route network, linking Klaipeda (Lithuania) with Kiel (Germany), and Paldiski (Estonia) with Kapellskär (Sweden). (kd)