- -2.0% pax (472,683) compared to May 2024.
- -19.8% cargo units (22,605)
- -4.7% passenger vehicles (65,482)
The newly built GNV ORION has been welcomed in the port of Genoa after completing its long transfer from China, where it was built by the Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI).
After some final works due to be completed in the coming days, GNV ORION will begin operating on the Genoa–Palermo route for the next summer season. The ship has a gross tonnage of approximately 52,000, a length of 218 metres, a width of 29.60 metres, and can reach a maximum speed of 25 knots.
She features 433 cabins and a carrying capacity of 1,785 passengers and 3,100 lane metres.
The last two ships (part of the initial four-ship order) will be delivered before the end of 2025 and will be LNG-powered.
GNV ORION also completed its first cold ironing test in the port of Sète, France, before arriving in Genoa.
- SUPERFAST FERRIES’ RoPax LEFKA ORI will be reassigned to the Piraeus – Samos (Vathy) – Dodecanese (Patmos–Leros–Kos–Rodos) route.
- Service period: 13 July to 30 September 2025.
- Previously operated on the Patras – Igoumenitsa – Ancona – Venice route since February 2024.
- Recently replaced on that line by the fully refurbished SUPERFAST IV (ex-HELLENIC SPIRIT).
- Built in Japan in 1987.
- Capacity: 1,500 passengers and 1,863 lane metres.
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
- Procurement begins for two new freight flex vessels on the Aberdeen–Kirkwall–Lerwick route.
- Vessels to replace HELLIER and HILDASAY, operated by Serco NorthLink Ferries.
Key Features:
- Increased freight capacity and quicker crossings.
- Flexible design to accommodate up to 200 passengers during peak periods.
Process:
- Initial stage: completion of Single Procurement Document Scotland (SPDS).
- Shipyards will be assessed on financial and technical criteria.
- Invitation to tender expected in August 2025, with contract award in February 2026.
- First sea trials for MV ISLE OF ISLAY completed successfully by Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova, Turkey.
- Trials took place 22–30 May in the Sea of Marmara, attended by CMAL, CalMac, Lloyd’s Register, and the MCA.
Key Trial Activities:
- Set-up and testing of propulsion systems, generators, thrusters, stabilisers, and electrical systems.
- Assessment at full load: speed, stability, manoeuvrability, anchor operations, and endurance.
- Verified performance of propulsion plant, automation, and navigational systems.
Second set of sea trials later this summer, after battery system installation and harbour acceptance tests for the hybrid system.
- Vigor Shipyard has completed the hybrid-electric conversion of WENATCHEE, marking it as the largest U.S. passenger ferry to undergo electrification.
- The 202-vehicle, 2,500-passenger Jumbo Mark II-class vessel is set to return to the Seattle–Bainbridge Island route in summer 2025.
Conversion Highlights:
- Removal of two diesel generators.
- Installation of two battery rooms housing 864 battery modules weighing 36 tonnes.
- Upgrades to propulsion control systems, electrical and fiber-optic cabling, and passenger areas.
Environmental Impact:
- Part of Washington State Ferries’ System Electrification Program, aiming to modernize six existing ferries and build 16 new hybrid-electric vessels by 2040.
- Once operational with shore charging, the WENATCHEE, along with sister vessels TACOMA and PUYALLUP, is expected to reduce diesel consumption by over 4.7 million gallons annually and cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 95%.
Next Steps:
- Sea trials and crew training are underway.
- Final approval from the U.S. Coast Guard is anticipated before the vessel re-enters service.
Source: Vigor
GNV, part of the MSC Group, has officially launched new routes connecting Sète with Algiers and Bejaia.
The company will operate two weekly sailings: Algiers–Sète and Bejaia–Sète.
The RoPax EXCELLENT, recently refurbished, offers halal cuisine, a prayer room, and family-friendly spaces tailored to the Algerian market.
With these additions, GNV strengthens its presence in the Mediterranean and expands its services to the Maghreb, reinforcing its strategic role in international maritime transport.
- Swedish and Danish transport organisations welcome a new Swedish government initiative to review future transport needs across the Öresund.
- Aimed at 2050 planning, the study will evaluate capacity and resilience, with a focus on freight flows and security.
- The HH fixed link (Helsingborg–Helsingør) will also be assessed as a possible way to ease pressure on existing corridors, including ferry routes.
- Sweden’s Åkeriföretag and Denmark’s DTL support the inclusion of long vehicle combinations and special transports in the review.
- Final report due by 28 November 2025.
Passenger Traffic
- Total maritime passengers (excl. cruise): 4 million (+3.4%)
- Peak day: 13 August – +370,900 people on the island
- Seasonality: Maritime travel dominates in July and August
Top Ports by Passenger Traffic
- BASTIA: 2.13 million (+4.0%) – Corsica’s main ferry port
- AJACCIO: 910,000 (+6.8%)
- L’ÎLE-ROUSSE: Stable at 406,000
- BONIFACIO: Stable at 249,000 (mainly Sardinia)
- PORTO-VECCHIO: Down 3.7%
- PROPRIANO: Down 3.9%
Traffic by Operator
- Corsica Ferries: 2.48 million (+0.8%) – 62.2% market share
- Corsica Linea: 587,000 (+3.2%)
- Moby Lines: 528,000 (+8.7%)
- La Méridionale: 258,000 (+14.1%)
- Ichnusa Lines: 132,000 (+18.5%)
International Traffic
- Italy accounts for all maritime international traffic – 1.53 million (+7.3%)
- Mainland France traffic stable at 2.45 million (+1.3%)
Vehicle Traffic
- Total by ferry: 1.46 million vehicles (+2.4%)
- From Italy: 526,000 (+7.6%)
- From France: 933,000 (−0.4%)
- Tourist vehicles peak in August: 132,000 (for comparison, 260,800 vehicles registered in Corsica)
Freight Traffic
- Total inbound freight: 1.83 million tonnes (−0.1%)
- BASTIA: Leading port with 1.2 million tonnes
- 836,000 tonnes of RoRo cargo
- 343,000 tonnes of oil products
- AJACCIO: 575,000 tonnes (including 360,200 tonnes RoRo)
- BASTIA: Leading port with 1.2 million tonnes
- RoRo Freight: 1.18 million tonnes (+0.7%)
GulenSkyss has signed a contract with local shipyard Fjellstrand AS for the construction of a new electric ferry.
The vessel is designed for low energy consumption and environmentally friendly operation, tailored for the Breistein–Valestrand route.
Scheduled to enter service on 29 November 2027, the ferry will have a capacity of 50 cars.
The contract spans 15 years, with GulenSkyss aiming to provide a stable and high-quality transport service throughout the period.
