Ships are in operation. The company has taken several measures to handle the crisis.
Flexibility in booking changes and cancellations
A 24/7 crisis management team has been installed, and is permanently in contact with the ferries.
Each ferry has a doctor on board.
Max 100 pax per public space. Special procedures in self-service restaurant (gloved staff prepares dishes). No consumption of drinks at bar counter.
Corsica Linea stops carrying passengers between Marseille and Corsica from 18 until 30 March. Because of the closure of the EU borders all crossings between France and Algeria have been cancelled until 15 April.
Corsica Linea To Charter STENA SUPERFAST X
Corsica Linea has agreed with Stena RoRo to charter ropax STENA SUPERFAST X long term.
She is actually operating in the Irish Sea on Dublin – Holyhead
Corsica Linea and La Méridionale have finally agreed to join forces for the public service contract for maritime services between Marseille and Corsica, from 1 January 2021 till 31 December 2027.
Right on time, because the deadline was 14 February 2020.
In this common project, Corsica Linea would have an exclusivity for the port of Bastia (source: Le Journal de la Marine Marchande). Remember, before, La Méridionale used to operate ropax PIANA on this route.
Since 10 January a strike is immobilising all Marseille – Corsica ferry operations. The unions want to have guarantees for jobs at La Méridionale, and they want the ships to be able to sail on the two main routes, Ajaccio and Bastia. The strike is also related to the countrywide protest against Macron’s pension reform plan.
From what we understand, this year’s public service contract, which runs until 31 December 2020, will be divided in two periods, from now until end of April, and from May until the end of the year. For the second part a new tender will be issued.
Since 10 January unions from La Méridionale are on strike. They started a blockade, affecting two of their ferries and three from Corsica Linea.
What they want is an agreement for a new cooperation between La Méridionale and Corsica Linea, to operate the Corsica routes together, as in the past.
They fear that La Méridionale will have to close business. The company lost the two most important routes, Bastia and Ajaccio, which has the highest number of freight.
On 9 January, a new call for operators for the secondary routes (Marseille – Propriano and Marseille – Porto Vecchio) has been launched, for a temporary public service contract until end of 2020. Why? Because the ‘Office des Transports Corse’ deemed that the estimated capacities were wrong, after recalculating them. They say that on Porto-Vechio 220,000 lane metres are needed, whilst only 160,000 have been foreseen. It is the other way around in Propriano, where 66,000 is enough, against 96,000 planned.
There is a lot of criticism on this cancellation of the previous public service contract, “as if the rules of the game were changed during the game.”
DANIELLA CASANOVA has been diverted to Toulon. However, when the ship arrived in Ajaccio on Monday evening, the unions decided not to let her disembark passengers. DANIELLE CASANOVA and MEGA ANDREA have been rerouted to Propriano, where the port was guarded by police.
The crisis comes at a time when tourists start to think about their summer holidays.
Corsica Linea also had to cancel the crossings to Tunisia and Algeria.
Moment has been selected by Corsica Linea to deploy an onboard entertainment solution. This enables Corsica Linea to upgrade its service on the Mediterranean routes by providing reliable digital platform to passengers, accessible from their own mobile devices.
Connected to the dedicated ship’s server with their personal devices (smartphones, tablets, computers), passengers can access a rich variety of high-quality content. The platform can also boost on-board sales thanks to its shopping functionality: users can browse a digital catalogue and look for products of interest.
Interview With The President Of Corsica Linea
In this (French) article, Pascal Trojani, president of Corsica Linea reviews the recent weeks, after his company won the public service contract for three major ferry routes. Some highlights of this interview:
Can’t we speak of a monopoly?
We do NOT have a monopoly. Because a company that does have a monopoly would be able to do anything, such as changing the frequency of the crossings or raise the prices. However, a DSP is a contract between Corsica and the ferry operator, with agreed prices, frequencies and ships. We fully need to respect this contract.
Also, still two secondary routes have to be decided upon, which may go to a different company.
Why did you reach out to La Méridionale?
Corsica does not profit from a social conflict. Also, we felt that the owner of La Méridionale (STEF) did slightly abandon their crews.
I believe that Groupe STEF made some strategic errors, probably they are an international group, noted on the stock exchange and based in Paris. In other words, too far away from the economic reality. It is the difference with us: we are based in Corsica, and have invested our own money.
Would you acquire the ships from La Méridionale? Take over the company?
No, buying is not something we consider. But we can think about how to have a common industrial project.
How does the season look like?
May was not good, because of the weather. June had social unrest. July and August will be good. However, we have put a lot of hope in September and October, which are more and more important.
Interview with CEO Of Corsica Linea
Some highlights of an interview with Pierra-Antoine Villanova:
Investment and ecology:
Journalist Nathalie Bureau du Colombier had an interesting article in French newspaper L’Antenne, based on an interview with Corsicea Linea CEO Pierre-Antoine Villanova.
On 26 May, ro-pax PAGLIA ORBA will be connected for the first time by shore power in the port of Marseille.
The ferry will be followed by PASCAL PAOLI and JEAN NICOLI in the coming months.
Corsica Linea has also the intention to order an LNG ferry this year, to be bost uilt by a European shipyard.
Between 2016 and 2018 revenue has gone up from EUR 176 to 220 million.
The shareholders have been asked to renounce dividends the next five years.
A group of banks will finance 80% of the cost of the new ship. The newbuilding will cost EUR 150 million. 20% will be paid by own funds.
Last year, Corsica Linea transported 1.2 million lane metres of freight. This growth means a shortage of space in the port of Marseille.
Works are being undertaken to increase the terminal capacity, and to make the link between ship and shore more efficient for the movement of unaccompanied ro-ro freight.
Parking space will go up from 202 lorries to 272.