Highlights 2025

Strategy and leadership

• Finnlines’ long-serving CFO and President and CEO, Tom Pippingsköld, retired on 28 February 2025. Following his retirement, Tom Pippingsköld was elected to the Finnlines Board of Directors in May 2025.
  
• The Board of Directors appointed Thomas Doepel, previously Deputy CEO, as President and CEO of Finnlines as of 1 March 2025. A new strategic phase was launched, focusing on improving profitability, customer-oriented services and strengthening long-term competitiveness.
  
• A strategic roadmap for 2025–2029 was defined, combining operational excellence, digitalisation and sustainability.
  

Financial and operational performance

• Financial performance improved during the year following a slow start, supported by ro-ro fleet rationalisation and investments in passenger traffic.
  
• Capacity utilisation remained high despite continued market uncertainty.
  

Route network expansion

• Finnlines maintained a strong market position in its core Baltic Sea markets.
  
• Poland’s position as a key growth market strengthened, leading Finnlines to increase capacity and introduce new route connections.
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  The North Sea & Biscay Line was expanded by adding Gdynia, Poland, to the weekly rotation, improving connectivity between Western and Southern Europe.
  

Passenger business

• Passenger volumes continued to grow, supported by enhanced onboard services.
  
• Passenger services accounted for an increasing share of the Group’s total revenue.
  

Sustainability initiatives recognised by customers

• The Green Lane low-emission transport service was introduced for both freight and passenger customers.
  
• The use of shore power, onboard battery systems and solar panels was expanded.
  
• Investments in energy-efficient operations continued despite uncertainty surrounding global IMO regulations.
  
• The 2025 freight customer survey shows that Finnlines’ environmental initiatives are effective and widely recognised as industry-leading, and reinforce a strong competitive position.
  

Digitalisation and customer experience

• The development of digital tools and API integrations continued to enhance the customer experience and operational efficiency.
  
• The Extranet was expanded to cover all Finnlines lines, offering real-time capacity and booking information. The Gateway Project was launched to enable 24/7 port visits at Vuosaari Harbour and will be introduced in early 2026.

Fleet investments and capacity development

Capacity and services on the Finland–Germany route to increase

Finnlines is investing in the development of the Finland–Germany route and has ordered three methanol-powered Hansa Superstar class ro-pax vessels from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), a China Merchants Group company. The vessels are scheduled to enter service under the Finnish flag in 2028–2029.

The vessels are designed specifically for Finnlines’ Finland–Germany route and represent a continuation of the company’s state-of-the-art Superstar class. The optimised hull design and propulsion, energy-efficient onboard power management systems, shore power readiness and improved hull coatings will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 per cent per transported cargo unit when compared to the current tonnage operating on the route.

The newbuildings will be 240 metres long and offer 5,100 lane metres for cargo, with a passenger capacity of 1,000. The design and onboard services of the vessels will be tailored to the long Finland–Germany route, with a strong focus on travel comfort and customer experience. The service offering will include several restaurant and bar concepts, a spa and sauna area, a shop and play areas for children of different ages. In addition, the vessels will feature a bow bar on deck 12, offering panoramic views of the Baltic Sea during the crossings.