TS Laevad ("TS Ships") is an Estonian ferry company which operates two routes between the Estonian mainland and the islands of Hiiumaa and Muhu in the Baltic Sea. Muhu is connected by a causeway to Estonia's largest island, Saaremaa.Praamid.ee. (Official website of TS Laevad OÜ).
The company is a fully owned subsidiary of the Port of Tallinn (),Port of Tallinn. The subsidiary company of Port of Tallinn, TS Laevad OÜ, has published a call for tenders to purchase ferries. which is in turn 70 percent owned by the Estonian state. The state subsidises the ferry routes with a sum of over €20 million per annum.ERR News. Ministry plans to buy up majority of island ferries.
The company operates five ice class ferries, four of which were purpose-built for TS Laevad.
Routes Two routes across the Väinameri are operated by TS Laevad. + Route Destination island Crossing time Departures (summer) Rohuküla–Heltermaa Hiiumaa 1 hr 15 mins 1½ hour interval Virtsu–Kuivastu Muhu for Saaremaa 25 mins 35 min interval
History Contract period 2016–2026
TS Laevad replaced the previous operator, SLK, on 1 October 2016ERR News. Saaremaa Shipping Company to cover for overdue TS Laevad ferries in €5.5m delay. after submitting a public procurement bid 64 million euros less than its predecessor.ERR News. Supreme Court rejects domestic ferry service procurement complaint. It was originally contracted to operate the routes until 30 September 2026.ERR News. Economic affairs minister applies for long-term island bridge link plan.
As none of TS Laevads new ferries were delivered in time for the start of the company's contract, three vessels from Vjatšeslav Leedo's Saaremaa Shipping Company (SLK) were chartered as an interim solution. The Sefine Shipyard in Turkey and the Remontowa shipyard in Poland paid TS Laevad a total of nearly €11 million in late fees.Postimees News. Late delivery leaves ferry operator in the black. All four new ferries were in service by the end of April 2017.ERR News. Fourth and final new ferry to enter island service on Friday.
In 2019 the ferry Tõll had batteries installed which were expected to reduce the vessel's diesel consumption by 20%. It thus became the first hybrid passenger vessel in Estonia.Offshore Energy. Estonia’s first hybrid ferry starts service.
In 2022, the company's ferries carried a total of 2.3 million passengers and 1.1 million vehicles. 72 percent of total passengers sailed on the Saaremaa route, with the remainder on the Hiiumaa route. The busiest month was July, with 394,000 passengers. The least busy month was February, with 96,000 passengers.Praamid.ee. TS Laevade aasta 2022.
In April 2026, Polish shipbuilder CRIST was selected to build a new ferry to replace the ageing Regula.ERR News. Estonia's fifth major islands ferry to be built by a Polish shipyard. The new ferry will be owned by the and operated by TS Laevad. It will be smaller than the company's own vessels and will have a 1B ice class, lower than the 1A ice class of the existing fleet. The ferry's main power source will be electricity charged from shore and stored in batteries, but there will also be auxiliary diesel generators.ERR Uudised. Riigilaevastiku viienda parvlaeva hankes osaleb neli laevatehast.
All five ferries had an onboard shop operated by R-Kiosk Estonia AS. In addition, the four larger ferries had a "Take Off" restaurant operated by .Praamid.ee. Possibilities onboard.
Contract period 2026–2033 In April 2024, TS Laevad won a public tender to operate the Saaremaa and Hiiumaa routes from 1 October 2026 until September 2033.ERR News. TS Laevad awarded larger islands ferry connection tender to 2033. The company was the only bidder in the tender.ERR News. Just one bid entered for Western Estonian islands' ferry link tender. Under the terms of the new contract the company's profits are capped, after concerns on the islands of seemingly excessive profits.ERR News. TS Laevad island ferry profits to be capped.
In connection with the new contract period, Baltic Restaurants Estonia AS won a tender to operate the ships' onboard shops. The shops were renovated in autumn 2026, and continue to offer a different product range to the restaurants despite now being operated by the same company.Saarte Hääl. TS Laevade parvlaevadel uuenevad pardapoed.
Incidents and disruptions to service
On 28 July 2017, the ferry Tiiu struck the seabed twice and sustained hull damage en route from Rohuküla to Heltermaa. The incident was caused by a controls failure on autopilot. While Tiiu underwent repairs at Turku Repair Yard in Finland she was replaced by the chartered Hiiumaa for a period of six weeks.Insurance Marine News. Marine accident round-up : 4th August 2017.
In the spring of 2018 ferry services to Hiiumaa were periodically suspended due to low water levels in the Väinameri. The minister responsible, Kadri Simson, blamed the cancellations on inadequate dredging in the Rukki Channel, through which ferries pass between Rohuküla and Heltermaa.ERR News. Hiiumaa ferry woes continue, Simson points finger at Michal.
From mid-March to early May in 2020, TS Laevad reduced the frequency of its services due to the coronavirus pandemic. Travel to the islands was restricted to residents only, and the number of passengers reduced by 92 percent compared to the previous year.Praamid.ee Uudised. TS Laevade 2020 kokkuvõte – olulisimad teod ja saavutused.
On 22 July 2021 Tõll collided with the berth at Kuivastu Harbour causing damage to the berth, the ferry and some vehicles on board including that of Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid.ERR News. Ferry hits berth at Kuivastu Harbor. Tõll was out of service for over two weeks during the peak summer season causing queues of up to two hours. The company stated that the collision was caused by a technical failure resulting in a loss of engine power as the ferry approached the berth.ERR Uudised. TS Laevad: Tõllul ei olnud jõudu pidurdamiseks, laevajuht tegi kõik õigesti.Baltic Times. TS Laevad carries record number of 102,851 passengers last week.
In January 2026, TS Laevad reported the worst ice conditions on the Väinameri for ten years, along with low water levels. There were cancellations on the Hiiumaa route, and those services running were subject to delays and vehicle weight restrictions.ERR News. Estonia's islands battle 'worse ice conditions in 10 years' amid ferry stoppages. In February 2026, a 17km ice road was opened between Hiiumaa and Saaremaa to relieve the disrupted ferry route.ERR News. Official ice road opens between Estonia's biggest islands as cold snap continues.
Future developments In 2023, the Ministry of Regional Affairs stated its intention to introduce new environmentally friendly vessels on the routes from 2033.ERR News. Call launched to find ferry operators for Estonia's main island routes.
Ferries of TS Laevad {| class="wikitable" ! Ferry ! Usual route ! In service ! Shipyard ! Home port ! Capacity ! Propulsion ! |- style="background:white; color:black" |MS Leiger|Rohuküla–Heltermaa(Hiiumaa route) |2016– |Sefine shipyard, Turkey |Heltermaa |700 passengers,150 cars |Diesel | |- style="background:white; color:black" |MS Piret|Virtsu–Kuivastu(Saaremaa route) |2017– |Remontowa shipyard, Poland |Kuivastu |700 passengers,150 cars |Diesel | |-style="background:white; color:black" | MS Tiiu|Rohuküla–Heltermaa(Hiiumaa route) |2017– |Sefine shipyard, Turkey |Heltermaa |700 passengers,150 cars |Diesel | |- style="background:white; color:black" |MS Tõll' |Virtsu–Kuivastu(Saaremaa route) |2017– |Remontowa shipyard, Poland |Kuivastu |700 passengers,150 cars |HybridDiesel/electric | |- style="background:white; color:black" |MS Regula |Reserve ferry |2016– |Meyer Werft, Germany |Roomassaare |400 passengers,105 cars |Diesel | |- style="background:white; color:black" |New ferry |Virtsu–Kuivastu(Saaremaa route) |2028? |CRIST shipyard, Poland |? |380 passengers,110 cars |Battery electric with auxiliary diesel | |- style="background:white; color:black"
See also Kihnu Veeteed – The main operator of domestic ferry services to Estonia's smaller islands
References
External links
Articles about TS Laevad on ERR News Youtube video of Tõll colliding with the berth at Kuivastu