Attica Group Inaugurates its 3 New AERO Highspeed Vessels

Attica Group on Thursday celebrated the delivery of its three new state-of-the-art vessels at the port of Piraeus during a ceremony attended by distinguished guests, representatives of the government and partners.

The three AEROs – “AERO Highspeed 1”, “AERO Highspeed 2” and “AERO Highspeed 3” – are the first new-built vessels joining the Greek coastal fleet, 10 years after the Blue Star Patmos was delivered to Attica Group in June 2012.

“With this investment we carefully implement our business plan to strengthen our market leading position in line with international requirements of the ferry industry,” Attica Group CEO Spyros Paschalis said.

Attica Group CEO Spyros Paschalis and Greek Shipping Minister Yannis Plakiotakis.

The three AERO vessels arrived in Greece from the Brødrene Aa shipyard in Norway on August 1 and were immediately deployed on the Saronic routes, where they were welcomed by passengers.

According to Attica Group, the deployment of the three vessels have increased the total capacity on the Saronic routes and are expected to further contribute to the economic development of the Saronic islands and their local communities.

“We reaffirm our long-term commitment to continuous improvement of the services provided to the Greek islands, to their local communities and to the growth of the Greek economy,” Paschalis added.

Introducing the new AERO vessels

The AERO Highspeed state-of-the-art Catamaran vessels, comprise ultra-modern design and innovative features upgrading significantly the travel experience for over 3 million passengers travelling annually on the Saronic ferry routes and offering a unique travel experience.

Each vessel has a maximum speed of 32,2 knots at full load, total length 36 meters, width 9.7 meters and carrying capacity of 150 passengers. The innovative interior layout guarantees a high level of comfort and service to the passengers, offering:

– a comfortable trip even in rough seas, resulting from the innovative hull form and upgraded ride control system,
– spacious passenger accommodation area with large windows providing excellent view and ample natural light,
– overhead luggage bins, as well as specially designated luggage areas,
– special provisions for the facilitation of passengers with reduced mobility,
– dedicated area for bicycle transportation,
– dedicated air-conditioned kennels for pets.

21-million-euro investment

The total investment cost for the three AERO vessels amounted to 21 million euros (7 million euros per vessel).

“The investment in the AERO Highspeed vessels contributes to the reduction of Attica Group’s environmental footprint and the gradual transition to a low-carbon, greener and more competitive economy, enhancing sustainable development, among others through low fuel consumption and reduced emissions due to the vessels’ lighter construction material, as well as the installation of photovoltaic units (solar panels) which generate the energy required for all lighting and energy consumption of the accommodation area,” Attica Group’s CEO said.

The company’s investment was financed with equity and bank loans from the Norwegian Export Finance Norway (“Eksfin”), with the guarantee of the Norwegian Export Credit Guarantee Agency (“GIEK”) and Alpha Bank.

“In a period of intense financial difficulties due to the global pandemic, as well as to the geopolitical and energy crisis in Europe, this investment strongly reaffirms our Group’s long-term commitment to sustainable development while incorporating ESG criteria in every new investment project and in our daily operation and at the same time, to our material contribution to the national effort for the growth of the Greek economy,” Paschalis said.

A member of Marfin Investment Group (MIG), Attica Group is active in passenger shipping through Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and Africa Morocco Link, operating 35 vessels in total, which provide modern and high quality transportation services in Greece and abroad.

The Group’s vessels travel in 4 countries, to 60 unique destinations, connect 71 ports and transport over 7 million passengers, 1 million private vehicles and 400,000 freight units annually.