The Ålandic company has purchased 17.1% of shares, for nearly €10.3m, of the Finnish holding also located in Mariehamn on the Åland Islands.

Viking Line has carried out the transaction with its own funds.

Commenting to Ålands Sjöfart, Viking Line's CEO Jan Hanses did not reveal whether the two companies will merge. He underlined that the share buy was done to keep Eckerö's stock on Åland.

The Eckerö Group comprises a few shipping lines that operate in the Baltic, including the Helsinki-Tallinn, Vuosaari-Muuga, and Eckerö-Grissleham ro-pax services. The Group's Eckerö Shipping disposes of a fleet of three ro-ros. Eckerö also holds the Birka Cruises brand, the operations of which were terminated in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic (the company's Birka Stockholm has been laid up since that time and is up for sale).

Source: Ålands Sjöfart