A study commissioned by trade association Interferry has revealed startling statistics on the far-reaching extent of the global ferry industry’s value to the world economy.

Research into the latest pre-Covid full-year figures found that, in 2019, ferries carried 4.27 billion passengers – on a par with aviation – and 373 million vehicles across a worldwide fleet of 15,400 vessels.   Among other findings, the industry provided 1.1 million jobs, contributed $60 billion to the world GDP and represented approximately 20% of shipping’s economic value to the European Union.

On October 6, the Board of Directors of Kalymnos Shipping Company (ANEK) completed all the necessary investigation procedures about the shipyard that will build its new “high-speed” craft vessel. The order was given to the OCEAN Shipyard of the Symian shipbuilder Mr Michael Moschatou.

The ship will be 27,30 meters long with a carrying capacity for 200 passengers and a service speed of 25 knots. The construction time will be 9 months.

On October 6, 2021 the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRAD) transferred an additional 16% of the shares of Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) SA to COSCO SHIPPING (Hong Kong) Co., Limited. The completion of the transaction came after the ratification of the relevant amendment by the Hellenic Parliament. COSCO SHIPPING paid to the HRAD EUR 88 million plus accrued interest of EUR 11,87 million and a letter of guarantee of EUR 29 million.

Following the successful installation of the Norsepower Rotor Sail on the hybrid ferry COPENHAGEN in 2020, and a year of demonstrated results, Scandlines has prepared the sister ferry BERLIN for its own Rotor Sail installation.

Scandlines’ COO, Michael Guldmann Petersen, commented: “We expected COPENHAGEN Rotor Sail to provide a 4 – 5% CO2 reduction. That expectation has been met.”

BC Ferries’ sixth Island Class ferry is now on its way to British Columbia after departing Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania on October 11.

Island 6, as it is temporarily named, is the last in this series of newly built Island Class ferries to join BC Ferries’ fleet.

Vincenzo Onorato publicly announced his intention to resign from the role of chairman at Moby. The seasoned shipowner wrote in a post on Facebook that “the person which will take over my role is respectable” and is expected to head the company in strict cooperation “with my sons Achille and Alessandro” and with a “young and motivated management team.”

Moby’s Vincenzo Onorato published on Facebook a picture of the first ro-pax newbuilding (to be named MOBY FANTASY) under construction at GSI shipyard in China and which will be launched next month. (designed by OSK Group).

The photo shows world’s largest ice-rated multi-fuel roro ships at the Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd., China.

The ice-classed vessels have a length of 242m and a deadweight capacity of abt. 27,000 t making them largest in the class.

The Knud E. Hansen designed vessels will be the first Mega RoRo vessels in the world powered by LNG-fuelled engines.

First vessel scheduled for delivery mid-December.  Second vessel was launched week 40.

Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne has inaugurated a new Irish terminal at the French ferry port of Dunkirk, with Ireland-France sea routes rising from 12 before Brexit to 44 now. (date: 11 October)

End of September, it has already handled nearly 40,000 freight units (trucks and unaccompanied containers) moving from Rosslare and back, as exporters side step the UK landbridge since Brexit took effect on 1 January.