Counting the cost of the corona virus 28


To say that 2020 will be a defining year for the ferry industry, would be putting things mildly, writes Stena Line freight commercial manager, Anna Breen


As a ro-pax business, Stena Line has been impacted significantly by the Coronavirus pandemic and it may well be several years before we see a return to what we called normal before this crisis. At Stena Line, measures that would have been unheard of just a few months ago have now become the norm - reduced sailing schedules, staff furlough and, unfortunately redundancies, have played a major part in reshaping our business to reflect the reality of the situation across Europe, including the UK and Ireland. We have been acutely aware


of our responsibility to help maintain


vital supply lines


between the UK and Ireland, as well as Continental Europe during the crisis. Our services and work colleagues have been put under immense strain in the last number of weeks and will be further in the months ahead. Now, more than ever, people appreciate how important freight supply lines are to help keep supermarkets stocked and ensure that critical medicines and medical equipment are delivered. A ‘new normal’ has been


much talked about and, as far as we can see, for the foreseeable future until Government guidelines change, the measures which we quickly introduced on board our ships when the pandemic first broke will be with us for some time.


sanitised; electrostatic fog machine for deep cleaning of specific areas (Irish Sea routes); sole occupancy in cabins


for freight drivers


These put the health and safety of all passengers and crew above all other considerations and included amongst other things: staged embarkation and disembarkation, with all arriving passengers asked to


(when available); social and counter distancing measures in line with government recommendations; cashless payments requested; contactless thermometers should someone show any symptoms; all newspapers and magazines removed to reduce the risk of cross contamination; isolation cabins allocated and set aside should they be needed; daily staff briefings for crew and strict guidelines to adhere to; and detailed evacuation plans (ship and shore) for affected customers/ crew.


Issue 4 2020 - Freight Business Journal


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and make significant changes to their businesses to help them cope with the crisis. Their support and cooperation, as we implemented a range of in-port and onboard safety measures,


provide services on all our routes, albeit with a slightly reduced service on some which is commensurate with the


prevailing volumes of


traffic available. The reduction in volume has resulted in the withdrawal of the Stena Forecaster on the Belfast- Liverpool service from 1 June, a reduction of about 33% freight capacity on this service. As governments around


clean hands; hand sanitisers available for customers and staff throughout; ‘high contact’ surfaces regularly


I would like to pay tribute


to our freight customers, who like us, have had to deal with very difficult circumstances


Stena cuts Irish Sea freighter but remains bullish


Stena Line is reducing capacity on its Belfast-Liverpool (Birkenhead)


service due to


the Corona crisis, which has hit freight demand, removing the Stena Forecaster freighter and cutting 10 trips per week. The


move follows the


introduction of Stena’s largest ship on the route on 9 March, the brand-new Stena Edda, which replaced the smaller Stena Lagan and at the time increased capacity for both freight and passengers. In early 2021, Stena Line will replace Stena Mersey


with a further new ship, Stena Embla. These two new RoPax ferries will increase freight capacity by almost 30% and will double passenger capacity compared with the vessels they replace. Stena Line’s Irish Sea trade


director, Paul Grant, said: “Since the start of the Coronavirus crisis we have been closely monitoring


the market and


adapting our capacities to meet the prevailing demand.” He added: “From 2021, a combination of the two largest


ships ever to sail between Belfast and Liverpool, Stena Edda and Stena Embla will help us to grow our freight and travel business. Stena Edda and Stena Embla will raise on-board facilities to a whole new level, with 175 cabins including six suites plus enhanced freight facilities and faster loading and disembarkation


processes.


Despite all of the current difficulties, Stena Line remains confident about the future and are well placed to respond to customer and market demands.”


was very much appreciated. Whilst


Government


support was welcome, it is worth pointing out that it was relatively small and only applied to some, not all, of our Irish Sea routes and did not prevent significant financial shortfalls. Despite these business pressures, Stena Line has and will continue to


the world look at measures to gradually reduce restrictions to try and get economies and people moving again, Brexit has moved back onto the agenda for the Irish Sea ferry industry. Prior to COVID-19 it was the most talked about topic in the industry and given the UK Government’s determination


to meet its


year-end deadline, more and more focus will be put on the preparations that need to be made across the industry. It’s clear that a number of our customers are still waiting for clarification on how it will work in practice and what impact it will have on their day to day


business processes as well as the implications for our own port operations. Presumably, there will be government communications on Brexit preparedness in the months ahead and what part various industry stakeholders need to play in its implementation. Whilst


it is difficult to see


any major good news at the moment, we do remain cautiously optimistic about the future. As more industries are opened and as lockdown restrictions are eased, which we


hope will stimulate


consumer demand, things will gradually start to improve - but it will take time. We have yet to see the full impact and it is clear that some businesses will not return, while others will return on a smaller scale. The long-term impact of COVID-19 on business will be substantial so we, like all other sectors, will have to make the necessary adjustments to our business model to ensure that we are ready and able to deliver the best, safest service we can…in the new normal.


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