Thessaloniki - Izmir: Impediments to starting the route - Οικονομικός Ταχυδρόμος

The Izmir – Thessaloniki ferry line will start operating during the summer season and certainly by the end of August. During this time contacts are ongoing between the company that will undertake the routes (Levante Ferries) with the ports, customs and other authorities of the two countries.

Discussions that turned out to be more complex as Turkey is not only not in the EU but also outside the Schengen zone, making customs and other procedures for passengers and cargo more demanding.

As people close to the matter note, this is not a conundrum of a route as it is in no way similar to Adriatic lines that are between countries within the EU, as procedures need to be tested to make boarding and disembarking easy.

In the port of Thessaloniki, for example, space is being created where the ship will tie up, while a Schengen gate is also required. The same goes for the port of Izmir.

The most important problem, however, is the shortening of the required checks at the two ports, since, as typically stated, the time required for a passenger or a truck to board in Izmir or Thessaloniki and disembark in the other city should be less than the time required today for someone to travel between the two cities by road through the land border in Evros… Otherwise the line will be meaningless, they emphasize.

The contacts do not seem to be affected by the general climate that prevails in Greek-Turkish relations, with the Port Authorities of Izmir showing particular interest. It is even said that to the extent that the traffic on the line increases over time, the Turkish Port Authorities also promise discounts on “port fees”.

At the same time, the people of Levante Ferries are putting the final touches on the passenger ferry “Smyrna di Levante” that will operate the route. The ship in question has received a complete refit, a wide technological upgrade as well as a complete remodeling and renovation of interior spaces. Regarding the schedule of routes, the company’s intention is to make three arrivals and departures per week.

Barren lines

In the meantime, there is an ongoing tender by the Ministry of Shipping for a “barren line” that will connect Thessaloniki to Mytilini during the summer season.

It is noted that from March 2021 there is a contract between a shipping company and the Ministry of Shipping that connects Thessaloniki with the islands of the Northeast Aegean, however, based on the relevant announcement, the line was interrupted in the first week of June and will resume in the first week of September. A tender is now being announced to cover the line for all three summer months. Levante Ferries will express an interest, however it remains to be seen from the outcome of the tender whether they will take it on.

In such a case the “Smyrna di Levante” will also make a stop in Mytilini, which will be connected to Izmir with one more ship besides the recently launched high-speed ferry.

The line will be served, as mentioned above, by the “Smyrna di Levante” which is 160 m long and will have around 200 cabins. It will travel at 18 knots/hour, will be able to carry 930 passengers and 60 17 meter long trucks. The trip will last 12-14 hours and, as mentioned by persons in the know the requirements of the line, for the ship’s route to be profitable, it is not enough to only transport trucks or passengers. The cargo should be “mixed,” they say. Otherwise, a ferry (for trucks only) would have been run, however it is estimated that such an exclusive route is not profitable.