Finnlines and the Port of Långnäs have opened a €3m ($3.5m) passenger terminal in Åland to handle rising traffic on the Naantali-Långnäs-Kapellskär route served by the Superstar-class vessels M/S Finnsirius and M/S Finncanopus, according to Finnlines.
The terminal opened on 8 May and is located next to the dock, shortening the walk between ship and shore and speeding up boarding and disembarkation.
The building is about 16 metres high and has a floor area of about 500 square metres. It includes passenger waiting areas and direct access to the vessels.
Finnlines said passenger numbers on the route have grown significantly since the introduction of Finnsirius and Finncanopus.
The company said the terminal is part of the long-term development of the Port of Långnäs and is intended to support tourism in Åland and strengthen the islands’ role as a hub between Finland and Sweden.
“The new terminal brings the ship and passengers tangibly closer together and speeds up and streamlines the travel chain,” said Marco Palmu, head of passenger services at Finnlines. Port of Långnäs chief executive Ronny Eriksson said passenger and car volumes through the port had grown significantly, with busy traffic every day.
Finnlines Plc is a shipping company providing freight and passenger services in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay. It is part of the Grimaldi Group.
The Port of Långnäs is the Åland port authority involved in the terminal project and is led by chief executive Ronny Eriksson.
Grimaldi Group is the parent group of Finnlines and operates ro-ro and passenger-freight shipping services.
