| Type | Public OMX: DFDS |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Founded | 1866 |
| Headquarters | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Area served | Europe |
| Key people | Niels Smedegaard, President Bent Østergaard, Chairman |
| Services | Passenger transportation Freight transportation |
| Owner(s) | Lauritzen Foundation 36% A.P. Møller-Mærsk 31% Clipper Group 9% |
| Employees | 5,000[1] |
| Website | www.dfds.com |
DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab (literally The United Steamship Company.
Although DFDS has generally concentrated on freight and passenger traffic on the North Sea (and to a lesser extent the Baltic Sea), it has operated freight services to the Americas and the Mediterranean in the past, as well as a ferry service in the Mediterranean between 1971 and 1981, a ferry service from New York to Freeport and Miami - Freeport in the early 1980s under the name Scandinavian World Cruises (which later became SeaEscape). Between 1988 and 1999 the company's passenger services were marketed under the name Scandinavian Seaways.[2]
Today, Passenger and freight activities are operated by DFDS Seaways, whereas land based haulage and container activities are operated by DFDS Logistics.
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Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab was formed in 1866 as a merger of various minor shipping companies under the leadership of industrialist Carl Frederik Tietgen. Initially the company operated fifteen small steamers. The company's main routes at the time were from Denmark to Norway and the United Kingdom, with ships carrying both freight and passengers. As the company grew, new connections were opened to Sweden, Iceland (then still a part of Denmark), France, the Mediterranean and Black Sea, as well as North America and South America. In addition to these DFDS operated various domestic services in Denmark .[2] After the takeover of Thingvalla Line in 1898, the Scandinavian America Line was established. The Scandinavian America Line continued trading to the United States until 1935.[2]
The First World War took a heavy toll on DFDS' fleet, with 26 ships lost. During the port-war depression a further 30 ships were laid up. The company revived with the establishment of new routes, and by the mid-1920s DFDS' fleet consisted of 124 ships with a combined tonnage of 233,364 GRT. The Second World War saw further losses to the company, with nine ships lost before the German invasion of Denmark in April 1940. A large number of DFDS ships fell into British hands after the German invasion, and they were used as troopships. German forces commandeered a total of 21 DFDS ships during the war. One DFDS ship, the Kronprins Frederik, was under construction when the war began. To prevent her usage by the Germans, vital engine parts were "lost", only to be discovered after the end of the war. In total DFDS lost 33 ships during World War II, with a further three ships lost due to hitting mines after the end of the war.[2]
In 1950 DFDS commenced a new service linking Danish mainland to Greenland. This was discontinued in 1959. 1964 saw the introduction of the first ro-ro passenger ferry, when MS England entered service on a route connecting Esbjerg to Harwich. Further ro-ro cargo ships were introduced during the mid-sixties. In 1966 The DFDS fleet consisted of 13 passenger ships, 54 cargo vessels, 4 tugs and 39 barges. The passenger ships served on routes connecting Denmark to Norway, the UK, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Finland (though the Finland service was discontinued in 1966) alongside domestic services. The freight services continued linking Denmark to the Americas and various European and Mediterranean ports. In 1967 another new ro-ro ferry was introduced to the Denmark–UK service in the form of MS Winston Churchill.[2]
Between 1967 and 1970 four identical car-passenger ferries, originally named MS Kong Olav V, MS Prinsesse Margarethe, MS Aalborghus and MS Trekroner entered service on the Copenhagen–Oslo and Copenhagen–Aalborg routes. However, the Copenhagen–Aalborg service was closed already in 1970. Subsequently the Aalborghus and Trekroner were rebuilt and renamed MS Dana Sirena and MS Dana Corona, respectively, for ferry services on the Mediterranean. Confusingly, the ships' names were later reversed, with Dana Sirena becoming Dana Corona and vice versa. For the Denmark–UK service new ships arrived in 1974 and 1978 in the forms of MS Dana Regina and MS Dana Anglia, respectively.[2]
The 1980s saw period of growth for DFDS, with the acquisition of Tor Line and Prinz Ferries in 1981. In addition to the ferries MS Tor Britannia, MS Tor Scandinavia and MS Prinz Hamlet that were acquired with these two deals, DFDS also purchased the Effoa ferry Wellamo in 1981, renaming her MS Dana Gloria. Following this brief expansions, in 1982 the Mediterranean ferry services were discontinued and in 1984 DFDS gave up its deep-sea cargo routes completely, concentrating now on the European market. 1982 also saw the beginning of an ambitions project of operated a large ferry/cruise ship, MS Scandinavia, on the US east coast under the brand of Scandinavian World Cruises. The ferry venture was a failure and already in 1983 the Scandinavia was moved to the Copenhagen–Oslo service and sold two years later.[2]
From 1982 to 1983 DFDS' passenger operations were branded as DFDS Danish Seaways (Esbjerg — Harwich/Newcastle/Torshavn, Copenhagen — Oslo, Newcastle — Oslo), DFDS Tor Line (Gothenburg — Harwich/Newcastle/Amsterdam) and DFDS Prins Ferries (Harwich — Hamburg/Bremerhaven). DFDS also operated the Fred. Olsen Bergen Line routes Newcastle — Stavanger/Bergen and Stavanger — Amsterdam. In 1988 the name DFDS Seaways was dropped from the marketing of the company's ferry services, which were now rebranded as Scandinavian Seaways.[2]
In 1989-1990 the tonnage on the Oslo–Conhagen route was renewed, with the Dana Gloria lenghthened and renamed MS King of Scandinavia and the Effoa cruiseferry Finlandia acquired and renamed MS Queen of Scandinavia. The King of Scandinavia was replaced in 1994 by the new MS Crown of Scandinavia, originally ordered by Euroway but never completed for them. The King of Scandinavia was sold to Color Line in exchange for their Venus which in turn was renamed MS King of Scandinavia.[2]
On 17 December 2009 it was announced that DFDS had agreed to purchase Norfolkline from Maersk.[3]
DFDS Seaways is the passenger-carrying division of DFDS A/S. It operates five cruiseferries and one several Ro-pax ferries on routes connecting Denmark to Norway, the United Kingdom to the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway and Lithuania to Sweden and Germany. The company has recently (2006) renewed their fleet, purchasing MS King of Scandinavia and MS Princess of Norway to replace the last ships dating from the 1970s still in service. The company has acquired a reputation as something of an expert in purchasing used ships, as the last time DFDS Seaways ordered a newbuild was in 1978 (although they have since taken over build contracts and taken delivery of newbuilds originally ordered by other companies). In 2006 DFDS Seaways stopped serving Sweden when MS Princess of Scandinavia was taken off service and the Copenhagen—Oslo service ships stopped calling at Helsingborg. In May 2008 DFDS made public their plan to close down the loss-making United Kingdom—Norway service on 1 September 2008.[4][5] MS Queen of Scandinavia, the ship that was used in the service, has since been chartered out to St Peter Line.
DFDS Logistics division operates land transport and logistics activities including the former DFDS Lys Line and DFDS Container Line.
DFDS Tor Line was the main freight-carrying division of DFDS. It operated a large number of RO-RO freighters on the North Sea as well as the Baltic Sea. It was formed as merger of DFDS' and Tor Line's freight operations after DFDS bought the latter in 1982 (until 1988 the passenger service between Sweden and the United Kingdom was also marketed as DFDS Tor Line). The operation of DFDS Tor Line were integrated into DFDS Seaways following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010.
DFDS Lisco was a Lithuanian subsidiary of DFDS. It operated 5 lines with 7 ferries for passengers and freight connecting Germany to Lithuania, Latvia and Russia as well as Germany to Sweden. DFDS Lisco has subsidiaries in Germany (DFDS Lisco GmbH), Sweden (DFDS Tor Line AB), Latvia (DFDS Tor Line SIA) and Russia (OOO DFDS Lisco). The operation of DFDS Lisco were integrated into DFDS Seaways following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010.
DFDS Lys Line transported freight from Norway, Sweden and Denmark to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy, offering door-to-door transportation. The company was originally founded in 1970. The operation of DFDS Lys Line were integrated into DFDS Logistics following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010.
DFDS Container Line transports containers between Ireland and the Netherlands. On October 2, 2006 the acquisition of Norfolkline Containers by DFDS A/S was completed. Established in August 1997 Norfolkline Containers was set up to offer Direct Port-to-Port services between Ireland and Europe. The operation of DFDS Container Line were integrated into DFDS Logistics following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010.
DFDS operated cruises from New York to the Bahamas from 1980 under the name Scandinavian World Cruises. The operation was not a success and closed down in 1985.
Stena Line has agreed a £40m deal to buy the Liverpool (Birkenhead) to Belfast ferry routes and the Heysham to Belfast link, from DFDS. The acquisition also includes four vessels, the chartered Lagan Seaways and Mersey Seaways on the Liverpool-Belfast route and the freight carriers Scotia Seaways and Hibernia Seaways.
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