1999 

 

Major Acquisitions
The largest acquisition in the history of DFDS was the takeover in 1999 of Dan Transport Holding A/S including the Dan Transport Travel Bureau and Canal Tours Copenhagen.

However, 17 months later the whole transport division, named DFDS Dan Transport Group A/S, was sold to DSV,  and focus was now again on former core business activities: Ro-Ro liner traffic and passenger shipping on overnight routes.

In June 2001 the deal to acquire a 76.36% shareholding in the Lithuanian shipping company LISCO was finalized.

Lys-Line Rederi AS and Lys-Line AS were taken over 100% by DFDS in 2005.

In August 2005 DFDS purchased 66% of the trailer forwarding company Halléns N.V. in Belgium.

In 2006 DFDS acquired the container shipping company Norfolk Line Containers B.V.

Routes and terminals
The Cuxhaven-Harwich passenger route was opened in March 2002. It was closed in November 2005 due to increasing economic pressure from low-cost airlines and the cessation of duty-free on board sales between EU countries in 1999.

2 October 2002 a new passenger route between Copenhagen/Trelleborg and Gdansk in Poland was opened. The DANA ANGLIA, which was renamed DUKE OF SCANDINAVIA, was put into service on the route. However, approximately one year later the route was discontinued.

In September of 2004 a new terminal, the DFDS Terminal, opened at Dampfærge­vej 30, Copenhagen, and the DFDS Seaways Oslo service moved to the new premises after being based at Kvæsthusbroen since 1974.

In September 2006 DFDS took over from the Norwegian shipping company Fjord Line the route between Bergen/Haugesund/Stavanger-Newcastle, and the DFDS route between Gothenburg/Kristiansand-Newcastle was closed 1 November 2006.

In July 2006 DFDS Nordic Terminal in Immingham  was opened. It covers a total area of 720,000 sq.m, and has totally six Ro-Ro berths. The extension has cost more than 40 million £ and was carried out in co-operation with the Associated British Ports (ABP). More than 600 people are employed at the terminal.

Fleet
In 2001 DFDS acquired the passenger vessel PEARL OF SCANDINAVIA, plying the Copenhagen/Helsingborg-Oslo route.

During the period 2003-2006 DFDS Tor Line took delivery of six large Ro-Ro vessels built by Flensburger Schiffbaugesellschaft GmbH. They were named: TOR MAGNOLIA, TOR PRIMULA, TOR BEGONIA, TOR PETUNIA, TOR FREESIA and TOR FICARIA, respectively.

A new concept, Ro-Pax vessels, was launched in 2002 on the Esbjerg-Harwich route when the DANA GLORIA went into service on the route.

In June of 2003 the second Ro-Pax wessel, DANA SIRENA was deployed on the Esbjerg-Harwich route, and DANA GLORIA taken over by the Lithuanian subsidiary, AB LISCO.

In 2004-2006 two Ro-Pax ships were bought and deployed on routes in the Baltic Sea. The passenger ship, PRINCESS OF NORWAY, was bought.

In November 2005 DFDS purchased the passenger vessel KING OF SCANDINAVIA deployed on the Amsterdam-Newcastle route.

During the period 2001-2007 27 vessels were sold, including five passenger vessels, as part of the fleet strategy laid down in 2001 to reduce the average age of the fleet.

Management
After the sale of DFDS Dan Transport Group A/S Thorleif Blok, President and CEO, resigned end of September 2000. He was succeeded by Ole Frie as new President and CEO of the DFDS group.

In connection with the takeover of Dan Transport Holding A/S in 1999 the share capital of DFDS A/S was raised by DKK 300 million to DKK 800 million.

At the annual general meeting on 11 April 2002 Jan Erlund resigned after 17 years as Chairman of the Board of DFDS. Ivar Samrén took over as new chairman.

By the end of 2006 Ole Frie, after 46 years in DFDS, retired as CEO, and Niels Smedegaard was appointed new CEO.

Other events
In September of 2003 the DFDS headquarters was removed from Sankt Annæ Plads, Copenhagen, where it had been since 1871.

11 December 2006 DFDS celebrated its 140-year anniversary.