The Mariehamn-based company, owner of the ferry and cruise brands Eckerö Linjen and Birka Cruises, has given notice to its employees following the toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the group.

Out of the total, 161 people have been dismissed from Eckerö Linjen and 358 from Birka Cruises, most of them offshore staff (from the Swedish-flagged Eckerö and Birka Stockholm).

"We're fully aware that the majority feels more secure by staying at home in uncertain times and we reckon that there's a chance that tourism within Sweden and throughout its immediate vicinity will rebuild itself faster than travelling to other destinations once we find ourselves in a normal situation again. That said, we're focusing now on weathering the storm the coronavirus has brought about to make sure the company survives, along with the job opportunities it provides. We wholeheartedly hope that it'll be possible to re-employ those people as quickly as possible and start sailing once more," Tomas Karlsson, CEO, Birka Cruises, commented.

Photo: Arild Vågen/Wikimedia Commons