BLUE STAR CHIOS returned to her regular service between Piraeus and the Southeastern Aegean islands on 6 July 2026 following a three-month refit at ONEX Shipyards Elefsis, which included the installation of a scrubber. The popular Blue Star vessel was also fitted with a new funnel and achieved 26.5 knots during sea trials. Built in Greece in 2007, she carries 1,752 passengers (252 berths) and 430 cars.
Photo: Dimitris Mendakis
On 18 July 2026, SUPERSTAR (ex-SUPERFERRY II, PRINCE LAURENT) is expected to return to the Rafina – Andros – Tinos – Mykonos route after her sale to Seajets in 2021. The legendary vessel will be the fourth Seajets ship serving the line and will sail daily from Rafina (except Tuesdays) at 08:35. She is expected to remain on the route until 6 September.
The ship currently serves on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Cythera line until 15 July,
Built in Belgium at Cockerill Yards, Hoboken, in 1974, she carries 1,480 passengers and 240 cars and sails at 19 knots.
Photo Charalampos Symeonidis
After more than a decade, Zadar has once again been connected with the Italian port city of Ancona by a fast passenger sea route operated by Jadrolinija with the catamaran JELENA.
The seasonal international service resumed on 3 July and is being served by a vessel able to accommodate 300 passengers. It operates several times a week, with departures from Zadar scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The catamaran leaves Gaženica Port at 08:00 and arrives in Ancona at 12:00. Return departures from Ancona are scheduled for 14:00.
Built in Singapore, the high-speed vessel JELENA has been part of Jadrolinija’s fleet since 2018 and is equipped with modern navigation systems and a wastewater treatment system. It is also adapted for passengers with reduced mobility, including accessible facilities and boarding infrastructure.
Corsica recorded 237,800 ferry passengers in April 2026, a slight decline of 0.9% compared with April 2025. Air traffic fell more sharply, with 324,000 passengers, down 7.3% year-on-year. Tourist vehicle traffic through Corsican ports also decreased by 2.1% to 85,600 vehicles.
Freight traffic performed better. Maritime cargo volumes reached 183,800 tonnes, an increase of 3% compared with April 2025. Rail transport also showed strong growth, with 3.86 million passenger-kilometres, up 52.2% year-on-year.
Among ferry operators, Corsica Ferries remained the dominant player in April, carrying 67% of all maritime passengers, followed by Corsica Linea with 18%. French domestic routes accounted for 76% of ferry passenger traffic, while services to and from Italy represented 24%.
Trelleborgs Hamn is continuing its investment in shore power. Ferry berth 8 will be equipped with a new shore power connection for vessels operated by Stena Line.
The shipping company has already been using shore power for several years at berth 9 for its rail ferries SKÅNE and MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN. The new installation at berth 8 will enable additional vessels to receive fossil-free electricity generated by the port’s two wind turbines.
By connecting to shore power, vessels can switch off their auxiliary engines while alongside, reducing emissions of CO₂, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, while also lowering noise levels in and around the port.
The installation will be carried out by Actemium and is scheduled for completion in Q2 2027.
ShoreLink has been selected to supply shore power cable management systems for the Port of Ancona, one of the Adriatic’s leading ferry gateways, handling more than one million ferry and cruise passengers annually.
The project includes the delivery of one RoRoLink Mobile unit, five RoRoLink Fixed installations and five connection cabinets. The systems will provide shore power to RoRo and RoPax vessels, enabling them to switch off their engines while alongside and thereby reducing emissions and noise in the port area.
According to ShoreLink, the project will help support the Port of Ancona’s sustainability ambitions while accommodating future traffic growth. The company thanked the Central Adriatic Ports Authority and Consorzio Stabile F2B Società Consortile A.R.L. for their cooperation and confidence in the project.
The Port of Karlshamn has welcomed the first call of POLSCA Baltic Ferries’ COPERNICUS, marking the launch of the operator’s new service between Sweden and Poland.
COPERNICUS will operate on this route together with the SKANIA.
The Port of Karlshamn is now served by three ferry operators. DFDS and TT-Line connect the Swedish port with Klaipėda in Lithuania.
Sea-Cargo has expanded its route network with the addition of Verdal, one of the most important industrial ports in central Norway.
Located in Trøndelag, the port offers connections to major industrial and commercial centres, as well as direct access to Norway’s national road and rail networks.
Photo: Felix Seifert / Trondheim Havn IKS via Linkedin
Norwegian ferry and fast craft operator Norled increased revenue to NOK 2.97 billion in 2025, up from NOK 2.81 billion in 2024. EBITDA improved to NOK 507 million, compared with NOK 391 million the previous year.
However, Norled reported a net loss of NOK 894 million, largely due to impairments, provisions for loss-making contracts and operational challenges linked to new vessels and technologies. The company highlighted delays in the introduction of battery-electric high-speed craft and higher-than-expected operating costs on some new contracts.
During 2025, Norled invested NOK 761 million in new vessels, electrification projects and shore infrastructure. The operator also increased the share of zero- and low-emission vessels in its fleet from 42 % to 45 %.
Looking ahead, Norled said its portfolio comprises 24 ferry and express boat contracts, including a new Nordland ferry contract scheduled to start in 2027.
Click on the picture to access the annual report
In a LinkedIn statement accompanying the annual report, Norled argued that the financial challenges highlight a broader issue facing the maritime energy transition. The operator said ferry companies are carrying too much of the technology and implementation risk associated with electrification and other low-emission technologies. Norled called for greater risk-sharing in public service contracts, more flexibility when operating conditions change, standardised contract models and better compensation mechanisms for regulatory and cost increases. The company warned that excessive risk transfer to operators could ultimately reduce competition and slow innovation.
AS Tallink Grupp transported 556,056 passengers in June 2026, a decrease of 7.2% compared with June 2025. Cargo volumes increased by 2.0% to 22,993 units, while passenger vehicles declined by 11.2% to 77,733 units.
For the second quarter of 2026 (April–June), the company carried 1,454,725 passengers, down 2.2% year-on-year. Cargo volumes rose by 2.9% to 68,986 units, while passenger vehicle numbers fell by 6.5% to 199,025 units.
The figures indicate continued growth in freight traffic, while passenger and passenger vehicle volumes remained below last year’s levels.
