ATTICA HOLDINGS S.A. (“Attica Group”), member of Marfin Investment Group, is pleased to announce the delivery of the new-built Aero 1 Highspeed catamaran, built at Brødrene Aa shipyard of Norway.
The Aero 1 Highspeed is the first of the three (3) Aero Catamarans ordered in January 2021, which will be deployed in the Saronic islands, in replacement of existing Group capacity in the market.
The total investment amounts to Euro 21mln and will be covered by own funds and bank financing.
The new, state-of-the-art Aeros boast an ultra-modern design and innovative features that will upgrade significantly the travel experience for the over 3 million passengers travelling annually on the Saronic routes. Deployment of the new Aeros will increase the total capacity on the Saronic routes and will contribute to the further economic development of the Saronic islands and their local communities.
The vessel at full load has a maximum speed of 32,2 knots, 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 an upgraded 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.
The new aerodynamic Aero vessels represent the culmination of pioneer and innovative design in the highspeed vessels category, for which the Brødrene Aa shipyard is internationally renowned. The extremely light construction of carbon fibre contributes to the reduction of fuel consumption and air emissions, and thus to the mitigation of Attica Group’s carbon footprint, in line with the Group’s goal for gradual transition to a greener economy. In an effort to further improve its energy efficiency, Attica equipped the vessel with solar panels which will generate the energy required for all lighting and energy consumption of the accommodation area.
Upon delivery of the new AERO 1 Highspeed, Mr. Spiros Paschalis, CEO of Attica said:
“In these challenging times, Attica Group remains focused on providing first class sea transport services to our passengers, with new, innovative and more environmental friendly vessels, to the benefit of our islands and their people and to the Greek tourism and economy”.
Mr. Tor Øyvin Aa, CEO of Brødrene Aa said:
“We are very pleased and proud that our vessels will soon be sailing in the demanding Greek seas trusted by one of the largest European Ferry Operators. It is the first vessel of our newly introduced AERO concept featuring aerodynamic and energy efficient design accompanied with our lightweight carbon fibre trademark construction”.
Attica Group is active in passenger shipping through SUPERFAST FERRIES, BLUE STAR FERRIES, HELLENIC SEAWAYS, and AFRICA MOROCCO LINK, operating 32 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.
Brødrene Aa is the world leader in production of carbon composite ferries and have delivered more than 70 passenger vessels since 2002. Brødrene Aa are combining highly efficient hull design with the utilization of the lightweight building material carbon fibre composite. By producing the most energy efficient ferries in the market, our customer benefit from lower fuel costs, lower emissions of greenhouse gases and lower maintenance cost.
Kallithea, 02 June 2022