January 14, 2020 - After a three-day voyage from Greece, and under the command of Captain Sandro Rundic, the 'Faros' ferry arrived in Croatia on Monday. The newest ferry in Jadrolinija's fleet should primarily connect Split and Stari Grad on Hvar before Easter this year.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the ‘Faros’ boasts a capacity of 600 passengers and 160 vehicles, was built ten years ago in Greece under the name "Stelios Filiagkos", and the state-owned shipping company purchased it from Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) from Salamina for just over HRK 63 million or EUR 8.5 million.

The Faros thus became the 52nd member of Jadrolinia's fleet. It is 104.9 meters long and 17.5 meters wide, and two Caterpillar machines with a total of 2000 horsepower provide a speed of 14 knots. The ferry is named after the ancient name of Stari Grad, the first Greek colony on the Adriatic.

The deal on the ferry, which was offered to the market five years ago, was concluded this fall, but the handover to the Croatian crew was made only ten days ago at the port of Kavala on the eastern Aegean coast, some 100 kilometers from Thessaloniki. The ship was then inspected by inspectors of the Croatian Register of Ships, who found no deficiencies and issued provisional certificates for navigation to the Adriatic.

Until recently, Stelios Filiagkos sailed from Kavala on a regular line to the island of Thassos, about 13 nautical miles away. The distance is twice as long to the main ferry port on the island of Hvar, which will be a real test for yet another Jadrolinia acquisition from Greece.

“I am extremely proud that we are connecting the Jadrolinija fleet with a ship which, by its capacity and speed, will significantly contribute to improving the quality of passenger transport service, especially in the summer months. The ferry will be at the Kraljevica Shipyard for the necessary equipment and preparation for the season, and we expect it to run from the spring. We believe that this offering in the fleet will satisfy the growing demands for passenger and vehicle transportation services in the Split area,” said David Sopta, President of Jadrolinija's Management Board.

"This is another step in modernizing our fleet, all to successfully fulfill the concession contract obligations with the state. In addition, this investment also achieves optimization of technical maintenance costs and long-term business stability. The ferry ‘Faros’ is primarily intended for navigation on the line Split - Stari Grad, but if necessary, it can be used for other lines concessioned by our company. With its large garage and passenger lounge capacity, it will make a significant contribution to improving the quality of service, especially during the summer months,” said the management of the Croatian company.

At the end of November, contracts were signed between Jadrolinia and a Russian company to buy two second-hand ferries, worth almost HRK 38.5 million, which also have Greek roots. However, since negotiations are still underway on conditions, handovers are expected in late January or early February.

These ships have long sailed on lines across the Kerch Strait, at the "junction" of the Black and Azov Seas. Still, since Russia has linked its territory with the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea by bridge, maritime connections are slowly losing their significance.

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Croatia's Jadrolinija recently purchased two Ro-Ro ships built in nearby Greece, without specifying their age. 5.18 million euros excluding VAT was paid for the two old vessels.

As Marija Brnic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 11th of December, 2019, one month ago, Minister of the Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, announced that the state shipping company Jadrolinija was embarking on the reconstruction of its fleet, and that it should turn to the procurement of new rather than just going for more used ships.

The fleet, currently numbering 51 ships, has an average age of 28. The planned procurement of new vessels, which should be an opportunity for Croatian shipbuilders, is expected to include eleven ships over the next three years, but in the meantime Jadrolinija has purchased two new passenger and cargo ships, which are second-hand.

One of the vessels, according to a brief announcement on the procurement notice, was purchased for 2.95 million euros excluding VAT and the other was purchased for 2.23 million euros, both from Aquamarine Developments, headquartered in the Marshall Islands.

The vessels were bought without tendering through a negotiated procedure, and according to Jadrolinija's clarification to the EOJN, the models were selected because of the specificity of the purchase and because "used ships are a commodity on the stock exchange, that is, there is a simplified market for buyers, sellers and brokers according to the previously prescribed standards,''

But when it comes to the question of just how old these ships are, there was no precise answer from Jadrolinija. "They are two used Ro-Ro passenger ships built in Greece that have the capacity of a garage and lounge, and at full speed, they fully meet the needs of Jadrolinija," replied Jadrolinija briefly.

One of the vessels is 102 metres long and 18 metres wide, it accommodates 500 passengers and 107 cars, while the other is 98 metres long and 16 metres wide, accommodating 500 passengers and 140 cars.

"At this moment in time, we cannot determine with certainty where they will sail because the concession contracts define the ships for each individual line. However, with their maritime capabilities, these ships are suitable in most ports along the Adriatic coast," they say from Jadrolinija, adding that they will, with their introduction into the fleet, respond to the demands of local communities to increase the quality of service and traffic flow in the coming season.

As for new ship purchases, it is said that a tender for the construction of two ships is planned for 2020. No details have been made public yet, but it is likely that one of them will be a project whose creation saw the project company Classis from Split engaged a year ago, which envisages the construction of a ferry for the most demanding lines - from Split to Stari Grad on Hvar, Vis and Vela Luka on Korčula and Ublija on Lastovo.

That ship should be 110 metres long and 18 metres wide, accommodating at least 900 passengers and 200 trucks and passenger cars.

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Jadrolinija's fleet renewal action plan has been being mentioned for some time now, but nobody has really spoken about it in any particularly specific terms.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes on the 8th of November, 2019, regardless of the fact that Jadrolinija is doing well and is liquid, successfully servicing Croatian tourism and "carrying" the season on its proverbial shoulders, Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, has stated that this national shipping company has a worryingly old fleet and estimates that "the acquisition of a new fleet should have gone better'' than it did.

He emphasised this in an interview with Croatian Radio over recent days. He is at the same time critical of the current way of ''filling'' the fleet, as it primarily involves procuring used ships on the world market. He placed emphasis on the fact that these vessels should be new, and on top of that, they could be made right here, in a Croatian shipyard.

The minister said that the company has an action plan for the procurement of new ships, and announced the contracting of the first ships early next year. As stated, Jadrolinija's fleet renewal action plan has been being mentioned for some time, but no one has yet spoken about it in any real specific terms. This remains the case.

At the request from Poslovni Dnevnik to the company headquarters in Rijeka, they confirm that a procurement plan for the next three years has indeed been prepared, and that the strategic goal is to renew the fleet. What the actual value of the planned investment is, and what the dynamics of the planned implementation are, were not revealed by Jadrolinija. They say the plan is to buy used ships, but also to start building new ones.

''Besides the construction itself, it all involves the preparation of different types of documentation and projects. Some of the investment value ​​will depend on multiple aspects, most notably the current supply in the used boat market when it comes to buying, as well as the state of the shipbuilding market when it comes to building new vessels for the Jadrolinija fleet,'' a short clarification from Jadrolinija stated.

The most recent acquisitions of more than a year ago were two new builds contracted for around 70 million kuna plus VAT per ship, and two used ships, each coming with price tags of 63 million kuna plus VAT. About twenty days ago, through a negotiated procedure which went without public announcement, the company procured a passenger ship worth 63 million kuna plus VAT from a Greek seller.

The implementation of this procedure is also interesting due to the fact that in the spring, when the construction of new ships for Jadrolinija was mentioned as one of the ''saving solutions'' for the ailing shipyards in Pula and Rijeka (Uljanik and 3 Maj), the obligation to conduct public procurement turned out to be an obstacle.

Economy Minister Darko Horvat, as it was said at the time, had submitted a request to the European Commission to try to negotiate a way to exclude these procedures, but until yesterday there was no feedback on the results of these possible negotiations.

In the meantime, the situation is such that Uljanik, as a now bankrupt company, would not be able to apply for this job. It is unlikely, interlocutors say, that even 3 Maj (without major support from the government and the approval of the Commission) would be able to compete for these works. Brodosplit and Dalmont from Kraljevica and possibly Tehnomont from Pula, could compete with local shipbuilders for the kind of ships Jadrolinija needs.

However, more detailed information on the sizes and strength of the ships they intend to build, which would certainly like to be heard by local shipbuilders, isn't something Jadrolinija is willing to publicly provide as yet.

''The company's strategy is to ensure that Jadrolinija has faster, younger, bigger and more comfortable ships on the most important lines than it has today, but also to ensure that the vessels are accessible to every island in the most comfortable and efficient way. In addition to fast ships, our goal is to rebuild the fleet in the ferry segment for local ''short lines'', but also to replace the oldest ships in the fleet,'' they say from Jadrolinija, which successfully transports more than 12 million passengers and 3 million vehicles per year.

Jadrolinija will finance the new passenger ships, which are also a prerequisite for the future ability to duly fulfill the concession contracts, partly from its own funds and partly from loans it has taken out. However, the cost of modernisation still remains unknown.

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October 1, 2019 - Jadrolinija updated the timetable for the winter on the first day of October.

Morksi.hr reports that off-season fares on local ferry and high-speed catamaran lines are back and are on average about twenty percent cheaper than the summer fares. For islanders, ticket prices remain the same throughout the year.

You can find the Jadrolinija winter sailing schedule for the entire Adriatic below. 

Rijeka

332 Valbiska (Krk) – Merag (Cres)
334 Brestova – Porozina (Cres)
335 Prizna – Žigljen (Pag)
338 Valbiska (Krk) – Lopar (Rab)
9309 Rijeka – Rab – Novalja (Pag)
9308 Rijeka – Cres – Martinšćica – Unije – Susak – Ilovik – Mali Lošinj
310 Mali Lošinj – Srakane Vele – Unije – Susak – Mali Lošinj

Zadar

401 Zadar (Gaženica) – Ist – Olib – Silba – Premuda – Mali Lošinj
431 Zadar (Gaženica) – Preko (Ugljan)
409 Zadar – Preko (Ugljan)
432 Biograd – Tkon (Pašman)
433 Zadar (Gaženica) – Rivanj – Sestrunj – Zverinac – Molat – Ist
434 Zadar (Gaženica) – Brbinj(Dugi otok)
435 Zadar (Gaženica) – Bršanj (Iž) – Rava – Mala Rava
9403 Zadar – Molat – Brgulje – Zapuntel – Ist
9404 Zadar – Rivanj – Sestrunj – Zverinac – Božava – Brbinj
9405 Zadar – Mali Iž- Veli Iž – Mala Rava- Rava

Sibenik

505 Šibenik – Zlarin – Prvić Luka – Šepurine – Vodice
532 Šibenik – Zlarin – Obonjan – Kaprije – Žirje

Split

631 Split – Supetar (Brač)
638 Makarska – Sumartin (Brač)
635 Split – Stari Grad (Hvar)
632 Drvenik – Sućuraj (Hvar)
636 Split – Rogač (Šolta)
633 Ploče – Trpanj (Pelješac)
634 Orebić – Dominče (Korčula)
602 Split – Vis
604 Split -Vela Luka (Korčula) – Ubli (Lastovo)
606 Trogir (Soline) – Drvenik Mali – Drvenik Veli
9602 Split – Milna (Brač) – Hvar – Vis
9603 Split – Bol (Brač) – Jelsa (Hvar)
9604 Split – Hvar – Vela Luka (Korčula) – Ubli (Lastovo)
9604S Split – Hvar

Dubrovnik

807 Dubrovnik – Koločep – Lopud – Suđurađ (Šipan)
831 Dubrovnik – Lopud -Suđurađ (Šipan)
832 Prapratno (Pelješac) – Sobra (Mljet)
9811S Dubrovnik – Korčula – Hvar – Bol – Split

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ZAGREB, September 12, 2019 - The government on Thursday gave its consent to the Jadrolinija passenger ferry company to borrow 51.3 million kuna from Privredna Banka Zagreb (PBZ) for the purpose of refinancing the purchase of a new catamaran for passenger transport.

The offer made by the PBZ lender refers to the ten-year loan in the amount of 51.3 million kuna (approximately €7 million) with a fixed annual interest rate of 1.50%.

"The aim is to refinance the purchase of the Jelena catamaran which was already bought by (the company's) own funds at a price of €9.25 million. The catamaran was put into operation on 24 October 2018, and it provides services most frequently from Split to Lastovo or from Dubrovnik via Korčula, Hvar to Bol," Maritime Affairs and Transport Minister Oleg Butković said at the government's meeting.

The consent issued by the government does not mean collateral for the loan and presents no burden for the state budget.

This catamaran, produced in Singapore, can transport 403 passengers plus an eight-member crew.

This is the 51st vessel in Jadrolinija's fleet.

Last year was successful for the Jadrolinija national ferry company as it increased its revenue and maintained its leading position in the Adriatic, which it also plans to do this year, thanks to its business development and technological advancement which should provide a better service for passengers.

According to the data presented by the company earlier this year, in 2018 the company transported 12.3 million passengers and 3 million vehicles which is an increase of 1.2% in passenger numbers and 4.4% in the number of vehicles.

More Jadrolinija news can be found in the Travel section.

August 24, 2019 - Will it be a nightmare escaping Split this weekend? A closer look at the ferry port crowds. 

As was expected, the penultimate Saturday in August is set for many travelers to return home after their summer holidays. The traffic of vehicles and passengers, especially from the Central Dalmatian islands, is also felt at the Split ferry port. However, travelers shouldn’t encounter too many delays on the way from the ferry port through Bačvice, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

“We expect over 85,000 passengers and over 15,000 vehicles to pass through the Split Ferry Port this weekend, with an emphasis on returning from the islands. Everything is going according to the timetable except that at 9 am and 12:30 we had to introduce one extra line to Supetar, given the large number of vehicles waiting to board. In the next day, we will see how things will work out and react accordingly,” said Jelena Ivulić from the Jadrolinija branch in Split.

Otherwise, the Split-Supetar-Split line has 14 regular trips daily, which are always full. The Sesartić family spoke to Slobodna Dalmacija about their travels from Supetar to Split and onto Zagreb on Saturday.

“We have waited in line for about an hour, and judging by the number of vehicles in front of us, we will probably wait another hour and a half, if not longer. The queue for boarding vehicles is all the way to the roundabout in Supetar, which is good. We thought it would be longer as they announced. The utility and fire department guys are down the road and directing drivers to create order. We have heard that bottles of water are being distributed to passengers and vehicles, but that may be the case at the end of the queue,” said Ana, who is traveling with her family.

Increased passenger and vehicle transport is also expected on Sunday and even Monday when travelers increasingly choose to travel to avoid traffic jams.

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June 24, 2019 - A new summer timetable has been announced for travelers on the Split-Supetar Jadrolinija ferry line this summer.

The first weekend of summer in Split brought some 112,000 travelers through the airport and ferry port, making it no surprise that we are well and truly into the season - and we have hit the ground running. 

Jelena Ivuljić from Jadrolinija said that from Friday to Sunday, around 65,000 passengers and about 12,000 vehicles traveled through the Split Ferry Port, and the most significant interest among travelers is Brač and Hvar.

“We have 12 regular lines for Brač, though on Friday we added one extra line and on Saturday two extra lines. We are learning from our experience so far, and on Sunday, we will have two extra lines. Apart from Brač, there is also pressure going to the island of Hvar, the Split-Starigrad line, as well as the catamaran line towards the town of Hvar,” Ivuljić said.

And this is just the beginning. 

As a way to ease some of the summer travel stress for locals and tourists, Mayor of Supetar Ivana Marković has announced a new timetable on the Split-Supetar route, which will take effect from Friday, June 28 and continue until September 1. 

Marković announced the news on her official Facebook page on Sunday, emphasizing that the schedule had been changed to give passengers traveling by car more time to load and unload their vehicle on and off the ferry.

“We will soon welcome a new timetable, which disrupts some of the classic times we have all adapted to. The schedule has been changed to give more time to load and unload vehicles on and off the ferry because, with the current timetable, it was not possible to ensure the timely departure of the ferry and caused additional crowding in the harbor and on the roads. The new timetable is only for two months, and then we will return to the old, well-known schedule. The crowds have begun, arm yourself with patience,” said mayor Marković. 

By the new schedule, the ferry from Split will travel every day at 5, 6.30, 8, 9.30, 10.30, 12, 13.30, 15, 15.45, 16.30, 18, 19.30, 21 and 23.59.

From Supetar, the ferry will depart at 5, 6.30, 8, 9.30, 11, 12, 13.30, 15, 16.30, 17.15, 18, 19.30, 20.45 and 22.45.

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June 21st officially marked the start of the summer season, which could certainly be felt in Split thanks to the crowds. 

Namely, an estimated 112,000 travelers from Croatia, around Europe and the world will visit Split this weekend thanks to airplanes, ships, ferries, and catamarans, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on June 22, 2019.

As reported by Mate Melvan from Split Airport, 110 planes with 27,000 passengers took off and landed on Saturday, and on Sunday, 88 aircraft and 20,000 passengers are expected. This means that a total of 47,000 passengers on 198 aircraft are expected at Split Airport during the weekend -and the new terminal hasn't even opened yet.

Passengers from almost every part of the world are traveling through Split Airport, and sometime next week, it will welcome its millionth passengers this year, thanks to the fact that a half a million passengers traveled through the airport in June. As far as percentages are concerned, Split Airport this year, especially in the season, recorded an increase of almost nine percent, Melvan confirmed.

Jelena Ivuljić from Jadrolinija said that from Friday to Sunday, around 65,000 passengers and about 12,000 vehicles would travel through the Split Ferry Port. The most significant interest among travelers is Brač and Hvar.

“We have 12 regular lines for Brač, though on Friday we added one extra line and on Saturday two extra lines. We are learning from our experience so far, and on Sunday, we will have two extra lines. Apart from Brač, there is also pressure going to the island of Hvar, the Split-Starigrad line, as well as the catamaran line towards the town of Hvar,” Ivuljić said.

The crowds should only grow larger as we move into July and August, though there is one reason we can let out a sigh of relief - the new traffic regulation at the Split Ferry Port seems to be more effective than last year, reports Dalmacija Danas.

Recall, on June 17, the new one-way traffic regulation was kicked into gear at the Split Ferry Port. Unlike last year, when we could see no significant difference before and after the traffic regulation was implemented, this year, it seems to be mostly running without major problems. The first summer weekend brought a significant increase in traffic through the city harbor, but the crowds were minimal on the roads, if not non-existent at times. As expected, the problem arises at the Bačvice bridge, where all the traffic flows, though no crowds have been recorded through Zvonimirova or the ferry port.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

ZAGREB, May 27, 2019 - Last year was successful for the Jadrolinija national ferry company as it increased its revenue and maintained its leading position in the Adriatic, which it also plans for this year, thanks to its business development and technological advancement which should provide a better service for passengers.

"The last business year brought successful results for the company thanks to which we have maintained our leading position in Adriatic. Jadrolinija won all the routes it bid for in tenders on a liberalised market," Jadrolinija stated on Monday.

According to the data presented, in 2018 the company transported 12.3 million passengers and 3 million vehicles which is an increase of 1.2% in passenger numbers and 4.4% in the number of vehicles.

The company added that figures for the first four months of the year indicate that that positive trend is continuing with an average growth in turnover of 5%.

As part of its modernisation, the company has introduced a mobile application - mJadrolinija - facilitating ticket purchases. The application presents data of ferry schedules and information on ferry traffic.

During the summer season, the company provides 600 departures a day and the most frequent routes provide a 24-hour service. Jadrolinija transports more than 12 million passengers and 3 million vehicles a year which is 80% of all passenger and vehicle sea traffic in Croatia.

More Jadrolinija news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, April 3, 2019 - Economy Minister Darko Horvat on Wednesday said that it was possible for ships to be built in the Pula and Rijeka docks for the Jadrolinija liner shipping company, however, that requires numerous details and requires a public call for bids.

Asked by the press who would pay for those ships to be built, Horvat said "whoever needs them."

With regard to the deadlines for the ships to be built, the minister added "that will be seen with the people in Jadrolinija," who, he said will "have to renew the fleet in any case."

In response to comments by reporters that all that would require a public call for bids, Horvat said "then there will be a public call for bids." Reporters also commented on statements by Finance Minister Zdravko Marić who warned that "the devil is in the details," and that in this case there were many of them, Horvat said that the finance minister is absolutely right.

Speaking about the options facing the Uljanik shipbuilding group earlier in the week, Minister Horvat stated that Jadrolinija should renew its fleet and that it needed 17 or 18 new ships.

"I'm certain that Jadrolinija will have to reconstruct or build its fleet. The fact that a public call for bids will be opened means that the ships will have to be contracted pursuant to the tender conditions. Otherwise, Jadrolinija would have to be excluded from the process of public procurement and we have to get approval from the European Commission for that," Horvat told N1 Television earlier in the week.

More news about Jadrolinija can be found in the Business section.