Finnlines specializes in freight transport and the main task is to ensure the smooth flow of goods. Finnlines’ extensive line network provides to Finland’s export industry a regular and reliable way into the European market while ensuring the transport of goods from abroad to Finland that is important for the security of supply, according to the company’s release.
Finnlines is a Finnish company and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. The Company owns 21 vessels, of which 17 fly the Finnish flag. 70% of the Group’s approximately 1,500 employees are based in Finland. In 2020, Finnlines’ turnover was EUR 484.0 million, 40% of which was created in Finland.
Despite these exceptional times, the whole shipping sector has safeguarded reliable transport links globally between markets and continued to keep essential supply lines open. Likewise, Finnlines has maintained critical sea bridges between Finland and Sweden and between Finland and Continental Europe, Russia and Great Britain as well. Finnlines has a vital role in supporting national exporters and importers. Finnlines has not laid down any services, but operated normally throughout the year and thus ensured the transports of medicines, goods, machinery, components, and other essential goods important to Finland’s security of supply.
Finnlines is a part of the Grimaldi Group, which is one of the world’s largest operators of ro-ro vessels and the largest operator in Europe combining passengers and freight services. As a part of the Group, Finnlines is able to offer liner services to Finnish foreign trade throughout the Grimaldi network. Grimaldi Group is a major operator in the whole EU and maintains the security of supplies across Europe.
Finnlines alone transports more than a third of the one million rubber-tired units, which move annually across Finland’s three main sea bridges, which are Finland–Estonia, Finland–Sweden, and Finland–Germany. In 2020, Finnlines transported over 720,000 cargo units and carried as much as 1,107,000 tons of freight not possible to measure in units.
It is important for societies that also during a pandemic sea transports run as smoothly as they do during normal times. Public aid to maritime actors is needed in a challenging situation when authorities have imposed restrictions that complicate normal operations and market-based operations are at risk. The Finnish Government has acknowledged this and granted aids to shipping operators. Finnlines has been serving loyally the nation without subsidies, without service cuts, and with important sustainable investments in green ships ongoing, while operating and competing against subsidized companies
