Cargo record for Wasaline – Aurora Botnia welcomed by the market

Wasaline’s freight volumes continue to grow. Aurora Botnia is the most environmentally-friendly ro-pax vessel in the world. With its larger freight capacity and added departures, the ferry creates excellent opportunities for increased freight traffic across the Kvarken straight. On the evening departure of September 24 from Umeå to Vaasa, the ferry transported the largest ever freight volume of Wasaline since the shipping company began its operations in 2013.

“The market has been favourable this year, and we are very pleased that our new environmental[1]friendly vessel and our increased departure frequency has been well received by the market, creating a record growth in freight volume across the Kvarken straight,” says Tony Ehrs, Director of Cargo at Wasaline.

Up to this point, the freight tonnes have increased by 25% compared to 2020, and the number of cargo units has increased by 22%. In September, the cargo units have increased by 40% compared to last year, which is strong evidence for the great market response to Aurora Botnia. “It’s remarkable how well the industry has received our new vessel and the interest in reducing the environmental impact of transports is overwhelming. Our added departures and shorter crossing time have been much appreciated. Also, our passenger rates are climbing towards new records, and our booking rates have improved compared to the record year of 2019 prior to the covid-19 pandemic,” says Peter Ståhlberg, CEO of Wasaline.