Tallink Grupp has today published to the stock exchange the company’s September and third quarter passenger and cargo transport statistics.

According to the September statistics, the month remained strong on the cargo transport side with a total of 32 672 units of cargo carried by the company’s vessels on all the current routes, which is a mere 1% less than in the same month in 2019 (32 843 in 2019).

At the same time, however, the number of passengers transported by the company in September took an immediate dive after new travel restrictions were introduced by the governments of the company’s home markets. During the month a total of 243 215 passengers were carried on the company’s vessels, which is  66% less than in the same month in 2019 (718 354 in 2019). The year-on-year drop in passenger numbers on the different routes ranged from 56% on the Estonia-Finland routes to 91% on the Estonia-Sweden routes.

The number of passenger vehicles carried also reduced in September by 25% with 62 138 vehicles carried in the month in 2020 (83 089 in September 2019).

The statistics for the third quarter as a whole echo a similar trend with passenger numbers dropping by 56% compared to last year and totalling 1 314 301 in Q3 2020 (2 974 790 in Q3 2019), cargo units carried reducing by 2% and totalling 91 578 in Q3 2020 (93 329 in Q3 2019), and passenger vehicles reducing by 22% and totalling 275 735 in Q3 2020 (353 725 in Q3 2019).

Commenting on the statistics, Paavo Nõgene, CEO of Tallink Grupp said:

„It was becoming clear already in August that we were heading towards new travel restrictions again in September, so the month’s passenger figures turned out as we expected. They of course still make difficult reading and are nothing to please investors with. Although the fact that our cargo transportation figures have remained strong throughout this crisis and also in the last month and quarter is the one positive to take from all this, it is also clear that these figures are achieved at a cost, as we need both passengers and cargo on the types of vessels we operate to continue providing the service without making a loss with every departure.

„As we move ahead into our traditional low season with new travel restrictions in place and a third of our fleet once again temporarily suspended in the ports of our home markets, we continue to take every possible step to limit and reduce our cost base and to identify and swiftly react to any opportunities for extra revenue or business, in order to sustain our business through this extremely challenging time.

„Putting travel restrictions in place for passengers strongly affects the operators’ income base. This is why it is important that support mechanisms are put in place by the Finnish government, who has introduced the new restrictions, for all passenger ferry operators to ensure that cargo transportation can continue smoothly and without incurring losses.“