DFDS has sold DFDS Seaways Irish Sea Ferries, including two routes in the northern part of the Irish Sea, to Stena Line.
The sale covers the routes between Belfast and Birkenhead (Liverpool), and Belfast-Heysham.
Two ro-ro vessels (Hibernia Seaways and Scotia Seaways) and two chartered ro-pax vessels are included in the transaction.
Stena Line will also take over operations at the port terminals of Belfast, Birkenhead and Heysham.
The group said all shore-based staff at Belfast, Birkenhead and Heysham would be transferred to Stena, but “with a few exceptions”.
DFDS and Stena Line will share staff at these locations during an agreed transitional period at the end of which DFDS will establish its own agency operations at Birkenhead and Heysham.
DFDS said it would now focus on its Dublin-Birkenhead and Dublin-Heysham routes, which will continue with the three ships presently employed on the routes.
"The Irish routes we took over in conjunction with the purchase of Norfolkline have, in spite of the recent impressive efforts by everyone employed on the routes, in the last two years lost more than €30 million,” said DFDS CEO Niels Smedegaard.
“Given the depressed economies a turnaround of the activities, without structural solutions, is not realistic. On this basis, we have decided to scale back our activities and sell the two routes to and from Belfast.”
The terminal and agency operations at Dublin are not affected by the deal.
“At the same time we will continue with our strategic and operational review of the Dublin routes. This work is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2011,” added Smedegaard.
By Bev Fearis
