Who owns NorthLink Ferries?
NorthLink Ferries is owned by Serco (the United Kingdom).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: About Us - Company Information, NorthLink Ferries, Serco NorthLink Ferries. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Serco Limited reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Category
- Travel & transport › Ferries
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About NorthLink Ferries
NorthLink Ferries provides what its own site calls the lifeline service to Orkney and Shetland, with daily Aberdeen to Lerwick sailings via Kirkwall and Scrabster to Stromness crossings, 363 days a year. Serco Ltd began operating it on 5 July 2012 and runs three passenger vessels (Hjaltland, Hrossey, Hamnavoe) and two freight vessels (Hildasay and Helliar).
Ownership timeline of NorthLink Ferries
Where NorthLink Ferries sits in Serco
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Serco ownership tree →
Other brands in ferries, and who owns them
The 33 brands in ferries on Brandtree belong to 31 owners. The largest is Attica Group, with 3.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Star Ferries | Attica Group | 🇬🇷 Greece |
| 2GO Travel | 2GO | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| BC Ferries | BC Ferries | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| Brittany Ferries | Brittany Ferries | 🇫🇷 France |
| Chu Kong Passenger Transport | Chu Kong Shipping | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong |
| La Méridionale | CMA CGM | 🇫🇷 France |
| Color Line | Color Line | 🇳🇴 Norway |
| CTN | CTN | 🇹🇳 Tunisia |
About the owner: Serco
Serco is a privately held company headquartered in United Kingdom. Brandtree records 1 brand under its control.
Serco Limited operates NorthLink Ferries. The NorthLink company information page says Serco Ltd began operating NorthLink Ferries on 5 July 2012 and describes Serco as an international service company working for governments, agencies and companies. The page does not name Serco Limited's own shareholders.
🇬🇧 NorthLink Ferries and other British brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 543 brands that began in the United Kingdom. 282 of them (52%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; NorthLink Ferries is not one of them.
- Air Partner — Wheels Up 🇺🇸
- Alphabet — BMW Group 🇩🇪
- Arriva UK Bus — Arriva 🇬🇧
- Avanti West Coast — FirstGroup 🇬🇧
- BA CityFlyer — IAG 🇬🇧
- Birmingham Airport — Birmingham Airport Holdings 🇬🇧
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of NorthLink Ferries?
The parent company of NorthLink Ferries is Serco, a privately held company headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Is NorthLink Ferries British?
Yes. NorthLink Ferries originated in the United Kingdom and its owner, Serco, is also headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Is NorthLink Ferries still owned by Serco?
Yes. As of 5 October 2026, NorthLink Ferries is still owned by Serco. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] About Us - Company Information, NorthLink Ferries — Serco NorthLink Ferries, Official document; retrieved 5 October 2026.
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