The layoffs will mostly affect office staff involved in ticket sales and not core maritime activities, while Tallink says the exact number of redundancies is not yet known, as the process is ongoing and employees are being contacted individually.

"This is not a collective redundancy. As an international company, different laws and regulations apply in different countries," company spokesperson Meelis Kompus told ERR.

According to Kompus, the move is a cost-cutting and efficiency measure.
"No decision to optimize staff numbers comes lightly and is always the last solution for us to consider and choose," Kompus went on, adding that where possible, employees will be offered alternatives within other companies within Tallink Grupp.

Kompus noted Tallink sold three vessels last year, adding the changes also reflect evolving customer preferences. "[The vessel sales] change the company's background operations and their volume. Customers are increasingly preferring to complete pre-trip procedures — ticket purchases and check-in — independently and, compared with earlier times, no longer need Tallink employees' direct support," he said.

Tallink Grupp is due to publish its results for the previous financial year next Thursday. The company reported revenue for the first three quarters, or nine months, of 2025 fell 4.2 percent compared with the figures for 2024. Profits dropped by as much as 88.8 percent over the same period. The company has attributed these declines to the challenging economic environment.

In addition to operating passenger ferries and cruise ships between the triangle of Estonia, Finland and Sweden, Tallink Grupp has four hotels, including one in Riga. The company is publicly listed on the Tallinn Stock Exchange.

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