Minoan Flying

Minoan Flying Dolphins To Order Three Ferries

Minoan Lines subsidiary Minoan Flying Dolphins will reportedly order three more high speed ferries at a cost of $150 million, bringing its total newbuildings to eight. The three new ferries will have a cruising speed of 30 knots and are expected to be delivered in Summer 2001, doubling the company's fleet of high speed ferries. Each of the ferries will be 459 ft. (140 m) long and have a capacity of 1,800 passengers and 250 cars, or 40 trucks and 100 cars.

Minoan Buys Four Ferries

Minoan Flying Dolphins acquired four ferries operating on routes to the Cyclades islands and the Argosaronic gulf. The vessels, which link the port of Piraeus with Paros, Naxos, Ios and Santorini with route extensions to Sikinos, Astypalea and Folegandros are expected to contribute about $7.9 million in revenues to the firm's total turnover. The latest purchases bring the company's total fleet to 67 vessels.

Minoan Lines Expects 58% Profit Increase In 1999

Minoan Lines expects its group 1999 profit to grow 58 percent to $49.4 million. Company officials said that revenues from its Greece to Italy routes in the first 10 months of the year were up 15.1 percent to $71.9 million. Total revenues in the same period from its international routes were up 9.5 percent to $90.9 billion. "Based on the 10-month results, Minoan Lines managed to achieve significant revenue growth despite the Kosovo crisis which affected the first half results

Minoan Ferry Sinking Cited as Worst Maritime Disaster in 35 Years

Rescuers pulled bodies from the Aegean sea on Wednesday as the death toll from Greece's worst maritime disaster in 35 years climbed to at least 62. The ferry Express Samina ran into a rocky islet off the holiday isle of Paros and sank in gale-force conditions late on Tuesday. Hundreds of Greek and foreign passengers were hurled into the rough waters. Twenty-nine people were missing, the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry said.

Greek Ferry Exec Plunges To His Death

A senior executive at the shipping company which owned a Greek ferry that sank in September killing 80 people, plunged to his death from the sixth floor of his office building on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Police said Pantelis Sfinias, vice president of the board of directors of Minoan Flying Dolphins, a subsidiary of Minoan Lines, was seen by passers-by and employees stepping off the building in the port of Piraeus

New & Notables

Derecktor Delivers Catamaran Ahead Of Time Derecktor Shipyards delivered its 299 ft. (91 m) high speed catamaran, Flying Cloud, to Woods Hole & Martha's Vineyard Steamship Authority. Completed one week ahead of schedule, the vessel will be used for year-round passenger and vehicle ferry service to the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Attaining an excess of 39 knots during sea trials, Flying Cloud demonstrated high stability and ride comfort due to its dynamic ride control

Minoan Profits Fall 82 Percent

Greek ferry operator Minoan Lines said profit in 2000 fell 82 percent to 3.0 billion drachmas versus 16.8 billion in 1999. "The difference in the level of net profit this year is due to the extraordinary gains from the sale of old ships in 1999 which added around 8.5 billion drachmas," Minoan said. Sales in 2000 reached 46.6 billion drachmas against 46.3 billion in 1999, it said. - (Reuters)

Minoan Lines Orders Ferry From Samsung

Passenger shipping firm Minoan Lines has reportedly placed an order for a third ferry with Korean shipyards Samsung, to be delivered in May 2001. The vessel will enter service on the Piraeus-Chania route. The ferry will have a full-weight cruising speed of 28.25 knots and a capacity of 1,500 passengers and 1,000 cars or 150 lorries, it said in a statement. It will cruise between Piraeus and Chania in five hours.

Fire On Greek Ferry

A fire in the engine room of a Greek ferry carrying 531 passengers and 111 crew from Venice to the Greek port of Patras left the vessel out of control near the Italian coast, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. It said no one on the ferry Aretoussa, owned by Greece's Minoan Lines, was injured in the fire, which was quickly extinguished by the crew. - (Reuters)

EU Double Hull Legislation Signed

The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, officially signed a European Parliament and Council Regulation that represents an important response to offshore tanker accidents and will lead to better protection of the seas and the environment. Under the new regulation, oil tankers transporting heavy oils will only be allowed to fly the flag of a European Union member state if they are double hulled. In addition, regardless of what flag they are flying