National Ferries Company News

A direct Chabahar-Muscat ferry line between Iran and Oman is planned to resume operation within a month, said Iran's official news agency.Ferries with the capacity of transporting 240 people and 40 vehicles will operate between Iran’s Chabahar port and Oman capital will be operational within a month, according to Hassan Ebrahimi, a deputy with the Ports and Maritime Department of Sistan-Baluchestan Province (where Chabahar port lies).After launching services to Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas in Iran in 2016, Oman’s National Ferries Company (NFC) launched a direct ferry line from Muscat to the port of Chabahar, located in southeastern Iran in the Sea of Oman…

Asian shipbuilder Strategic Marine launched the Shanna, the first of two 45-meter ro-pax catamarans to the National Ferries Company of Oman. The vessel is the first of its kind built by Strategic at its Vietnam shipyard, underscoring the operation's multi-markets shipbuilding capability. The sister vessel, the Jawharat, will deliver at the end of November. "The global ferry market is of significant importance to us and we have strong pedigree in building these and similar types of vessels in our other regional yards," said Reece Newbold, Group Business Development Manager.

Strategic Marine, a specialist shipbuilder in Asia, today announced that Njord Offshore, U.K. fleet operator of Crew Transfer Vessels for the growing European offshore windfarm sector, has officially confirmed the option for two more high performance crew transfer and service vessels, taking the total order to eight vessels. So far, Strategic has delivered six vessels to Njord Offshore. The first, Njord Advocet, completed her maiden charter on the Greater Gabbard Windfarm for SSE and will join her sister Vessels off the European Mainland off Germany. The Njord Kittiwake is now working off Denmark and the Njord Curlew and Lapwing off Germany. The Njord Puffin and Petrel were delivered last month at Strategic’s shipyard in Singapore and have just arrived in Europe.

The Sultanate of Oman’s National Ferries Company (NFC) awards Austal a new 12-month vessel maintenance contract. Austal had previously held a three-year Vessel Maintenance Services Agreement which concluded in October this year. Under this new 12-month contract, Austal will support and maintain two 52 metre patrol vessels for the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard, three high speed vehicle-passenger ferries and one landing craft. Austal will also strengthen its support capability in the Sultanate of Oman through investment in maintenance facilities in the ports of Khasab and Shinas. The award of this new contract and further investment by…

Austal announced an expansion of its European service presence with the establishment of a maintenance hub on the Strait of Gibraltar. Based in Southern Spain and Northern Morocco, the new operations will support the extensive fleet of Austal and non-Austal high speed craft currently operating on the Strait of Gibraltar. The new operations will support the ports of Algeciras and Tarifa in Spain, and Tanger Ville and Tanger Med in Morocco, and will be staffed by members of Austal’s existing maintenance team as well as local personnel.

Austal confirmed an unconditional contract has been signed with Oman’s National Ferries Company (NFC) for the maintenance of seven large high-speed craft. The contract requires Austal to deliver vessel maintenance services for NFC’s five high speed ferries and two Oman Coast Guard rescue boats, co-managed by NFC, for a period of up to five years. Work will be performed by Austal at various regional ports within the Sultanate of Oman, including the capital city, Muscat. Austal’s service presence in the Middle East now includes hubs for the Red Sea (Egypt) and the Arabian Gulf (Oman)…