- 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%)
- Corsica Ferries’ newest acquisition —the 1988-built AMORELLA from Viking Line— has arrived in Genoa.
- Reported sales price is EUR 19.1 million.
- Book value as of 30 June 2022 EUR 3.2 million.
- Length 170m, pax 2,480 and lane metres 970
- The vessel, soon to be renamed MEGA VICTORIA, will be repainted by Zincaf Ship Repair Yard in Genoa. She follows the former MARIELLA (renamed MEGA REGINA) bought last year from Viking Line too.
On 9 January, Christian Estrosi (Mayor of the city of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, Deputy President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region), and Pierre Mattei (President and CEO of Corsica Ferries) have formalized the use of 0.1% sulphur fuel at the port of Nice.
Nice is not in a SECA, and 0.5% fuel would be the norm. Corsica Ferries has decided to play a pioneering role, with the hope to have a Mediterranean SECA soon. The company also participates in the relevant program under the wings of the French Shipowners Association.
Corsica Very Worried About the Strike at the Beginning of the Holiday Season
La Méridionale is on strike and unions block the port of Marseille.
The industrial action started six days ago. Two ships from La Méridionale and three ships from Corsica Linea are currently blocked.
The reason is the fact that La Méridionale has been excluded from the latest DSP, at least from three of the five ports. The main ones!
La Méridionale, traditionally a partner of Corsica Linea (and before SNCM), decided this time to tender alone for the DSP.
Because the company only owns three vessels they needed to acquire two extra ships, which didn’t go easy. A plan to charter a Stena RoRo ship couldn’t be realised. Last minute La Méridionale had to change their plans, and it was said they were going to have LIVERPOOL SEAWAYS instead.
Another ship that was going to reinforce the three-ship fleet had to be changed eventually.
Because of the different characteristics of the initially planned vessels, it was decided the candidature of La Mériodionale was not valid.
This means that in spite of their historic track record (with no industrial actions as with the defunct SNCM), La Méridionale will be excluded from all major Corsican services tenders.
The Corsican tourist industry is of course very worried, with the 1st of July around the corner.
The customer information page on the La Méridionale website explains (in French) the ‘why’ of the strike.
Ferry Shipping News translated the last paragraph:
“Today, at the dawn of a decision taken by partisan parties and stained by procedure errors, our candidature to (de)serve the Corsicans and Corsica is about to be rejected for the next 15 months.
Tomorrow, you (the customer) will no longer have a free choice.”
Corsica Linea has officially inaugurated the VIZZAVONA on June 5. This ferry, formerly EUROFERRY CORFU, is on long-term charter.
The video (in French) shows the event and has interviews with Corsica Linea’s President, Pascal Trojani and CEO Pierre-Antoine Villanova.
In the interview Mr Villanova put a lot of emphasis on the green transition of the company.
- VIZZAVONA is the first ferry on a Corsican ferry route equipped with scrubbers.
- Connecting all the ferries to shore power (starting this project in Ajaccio in 2019).
- LNG as fuel for new ships.
Watch the video (in French)(4:18)
“Take the ferry, rather than the plane,” is Corsica Ferries’ message.
Look at one of the videos: