Corsica Linea has suspended all ferry crossings between France and Algeria, until August 31.
The reason is that Président Abdelmadjid Tebboune has decided to close all borders of his country after a rise in Covid-19 cases.
A NEPITA is seen leaving Greece after a serious technical overhaul in Perama (scrubber). She has in the meanwhile arrived in Marseille, as the 8th ferry in Corsica Linea’s fleet. Instead of the planned crossings between Marseille and Algeria she will sail to Corsica, on the routes to Ajaccio and Bastia. The reason is Covid-19.
As from June 23, she will do 2 return crossings on Bastia, and two on Ajaccio.
As from mid-August she will operate 7 crossings on the Ajaccio route.
Formerly STENA SUPERFAST X, she is on a long-term charter from Stena RoRo. She will fly the French flag, with only French crew on board.
A Nepita, was named after Corsican marjoram, an endemic plant emblematic of island biodiversity.
(140 trucks and 100 cars / 1930 lane metres / 1200 pax / 173 cabins)
Fast is the progress on Corsica Linea’s A. NEPITA, which is undergoing her small scale conversion at the Perama Repair Zone. So far, she had her livery and flag changed (Cyprus), and her scrubber installed.
The large ship is on long-term charter from STENA LINE
There is more progress on the Attica Group’s scrubber conversions. SUPERFAST XI) is undergoing -in tandem- her dry docking (Perama) since May 21, while BLUE STAR PATMOS is in Palumbo Shipyards –out of the dry dock- and had her new enlarged funnel back in place. She is expected to be back mid-June.
Freestyle translation by Ferry Shipping News
- Corsica Linea went from 7 to 4 ships: 2 on Bastia, 2 on Ajaccio.
- No link to North-Africa
- Only a few passengers, majority is freight. In the middle of the crisis freight went down. Then we carried only 70% of the normal capacity. Now we transport 80% of the goods that arrive on the island.
- Very difficult to predict summer. I don’t know if we will carry passengers this summer. We need to carry people without putting them at risk.
- We’re going to lose lots of money, but I am not afraid for my company. I am more afraid for the economic earthquake on the island.
- We have a social ambition. We want to develop the local economy. That’s why we employ French seafarers, not Italians (as Corsica Ferries does, note from editor). They are costing us three times more. We have also decided to only work with food from Corsica.
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
- To be renamed A NEPITA
- To serve the Marseille – Algeria route as from summer 2020
- To be rebuilt with scrubber and with an extra 100 cabins, bringing total cabins to 158
- French flagged and French crew (an extra 150 jobs)
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.
