DFDS has struck a cooperation deal with Finland's Eckero Line as it tries to cope with the coronavirus crisis.
The Danish ro-ro giant said freight ferry services will be enhanced between Estonia and Finland through the cargo agreement.
This covers the route between Muuga and Tallinn in Estonia and Vuosaari and Helsinki in Finland from the end of April.
DFDS has also halved sailings between the Estonian port of Paldiski and the Finnish port of Hanko following reduced demand.
With these changes, a total of 30 departures per week between Estonia and Finland can be offered, the company said.
"Moreover, the overall utilisation of ferry capacity between Estonia and Finland is expected to improve," the ferry operator added.
Eckero laying off staff
Earlier this month Eckero Line said it was making up to 500 staff redundant.
Most of these are crew on two vessels, as well as staff at subsidiary Birka Cruises' Stockholm office.
A skeleton crew of 13 people will be kept on the ships.
A letter of termination was sent to those affected, promising full pay to cover notice periods of between five and six months in most cases.
The company has agreed with unions to take workers back if the situation improves. This deal covers a period of nine months from April.
“We just have to hope for the best that the situation will return to normal as soon as possible and traffic will be able to start. The staff have a long notice period, which allows them to be taken back to work if we are able to return to normal traffic," Eckero human resources manager Lasse Karlsson told the Alandstidningen newspaper.
Two other Eckero ships are working to secure supplies into the country and into Estonia.
DFDS told to be ready
DFDS said last week that clients are telling it to be ready to cope with increased production in the second quarter.
The company has laid up 12 of 50 ships and furloughed 2,200 staff members during the coronavirus pandemic, but its capacity may be needed more in the months ahead.
"We have a very little visibility always on forward bookings," chief executive Torben Carlsen said on a conference call.
"We have received notifications from car factories starting up again notifying us to be ready, both on the logistics and ferry side so that we can handle it."
