German press reports the intention of the UK-based owner, private equity firm 3i, to sell the ferry firm, with a possible price tag of €2 billion.
Scandlines operates ferries between Puttgarden-Rødby and Rostock-Gedser. The sale was already planned in 2012, in relation to the threat of a fixed connection between Puttgarden and Rødby.
Greek ferry operator Seajets continues to expand it fast ferry fleet with the acquisition of two second-hand vessels.
The company bought two car-carrying Austal high-speed craft, the 60m CEZAYIRLI HASAN PASA from IDO, Turkey, and the 82m ALMOTTAHEDAH I, better known as TT Lines’ former TT-DELPHIN.
In August, P&O Ferries saw the highest number of tourists in 14 years, on Larne-Cairnryan. The passenger volumes for the month were up 7%.
Trasmediterranea ro-pax ferry ALMARIYA was hit by an engine room fire on September 8, when sailing from Nador, Morocco, to Almeria, Spain. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished quickly by the crew. She had to be towed to Nador. The ferry is back in service.
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Trasmediterranea received the renewal of its license to operate the public service from Malaga and Almeria to the Spanish enclave of Melilla. The fact that the company did not ask for subsidies at all, is the reason why it was successful with its bid. Baleària submitted an offer of about €14 million, close to the official budget.
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Belfast Harbour has appointed Joe O’Neill as CEO, replacing Roy Adair who is retiring in spring 2018.
Joe joined the organisation in 1997, holding a number of roles within Belfast Harbour, including Commercial Manager and Port Manager before being appointed Commercial Director in 2005.
The Management Board of Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija has selected David Sopta as new CEO, after a three and a half months tender, to which twenty candidates reacted. David Sopta will replace Alan Klanac.
CELINE, CLdN’s first 8,000 lane metre ro-ro has left the Hyundai MiPo shipyard in Ulsan, South-Korea on September 8.
Her first stop will be in Singapore. Once in Europe she will serve either the UK-Zeebrugge or UK-Rotterdam route.
CLdN have six ro-ro’s on order, with three more MiPo sister vessels, and two other ships under construction in Croatia at the Uljanik shipyard. Options for respectively two and four more are still waiting to be declared.
Some 20% of DFDS’ revenue comes from passengers, and 80% book their ferry crossings online. To make it easier for the customer, a new global organisation for passenger marketing and sales has been announced.
The new organisation, starting in October 2017, will replace the current country-based model. As a next big step 17 current passenger websites will be unified at dfds.com at the beginning of 2018.
Copenhagen Malmö Ports’ (CMP) board of directors has decided to appoint Barbara Scheel Agersnap as new CEO. Barbara has been deputy CEO of CMP since June 2015.
The company’s CFO, Jonas Arkestad, will take over the role of deputy CEO and retain his post as CFO.
