News / 'Resilient' freight business rescues a tough year for DFDS

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Despite the dramatic decline in passenger numbers last year, a fourth-quarter surge in freight volumes helped mitigate the decline in Danish ferry operator DFDS’s profitability. 

“Passenger results were wiped out by the pandemic,” chief executive Torben Carlson said, referring to a 93% year-on-year decline in numbers, “but we also saw how resilient our freight business is.” 

Fourth-quarter freight volumes on its North Sea routes were up 16%, and 17% on cross-Channel services, attributed to pre-Brexit stockpiling, while Baltic and Mediterranean routes both saw 7% growth. 

“We are glad to have Brexit finally behind ...