On Monday 8th August 2022, Hellenic Seaways started operating their three newly built catamarans on their Saronic Gulf routes.  These will connect Piraeus with the nearby islands of Aegina and Agistri as well as Poros, Hydra, Spetses and mainland Ermioni and Porto Heli.  Attica Group, which serves the routes through its subsidiary, Hellenic Seaways, paid 21 million euros for the three Norwegian-built AERO Highspeed catamarans.  The new vessels were delivered to Hellenic Seaways in Piraeus last week.  The brand new vessels can carry 150 passengers at a speed of 32 knots and will replace the ageing Soviet-built 'Flying Dolphins' that were introduced back in the mid-1970's.  The last three old 'Flying Dolphins' will finally be retired after giving over 45-years service on the Saronic Gulf routes. 

The newly named Hellenic Seaways AERO 1, 2 and 3 Highspeed catamarans will have up to 17 scheduled sailings daily, providing aircraft-type seats for 150 passengers as well as space for bicycles and pets in their carriers.   Click here for more info.

AERO Highspeed catamaran details   -   Length: 36m   Width: 9.7m   Built in: Norway   Max Speed: 32.2 knots   Passengers: 150 

Greek passenger shipping companies will need to spend 2.5 to 3 billion euros to renew their ageing fleets.  With this sum, the firms could replace all their ships over 25 years old.  The recent acquisition by Attica Group subsidery Hellenic Seaways of three AERO catamarans to replace its Soviet-made 'Flying Dolphins' was the first significant investment in new vessels in nearly 10 years, although some companies have invested significant sums to install exhaust gas cleaning systems also known as scrubbers to remove harmful components, such as sulfur oxides.  A report states that the Hellenic Shipping Chamber is seeking about 4.5 billion euros in EU funds to help finance environmentally friendly investments.