The passenger ferry Smyrna di Levante makes its maiden voyage this afternoon from Thessaloniki to Smyrna. It is launching a line that not only unites two historic cities but also Europe and Asia, as Mr. Giorgos Theodosis, head of the ship-owning company Levante Ferries, said at the ship’s consecration ceremony last Friday in Piraeus.
At first it was one of those conversations that you don’t pay much attention to when you hear them for the first time. A whisper. Little by little the thought turned into an idea, with study and research it became a vision. The vision evolved into a goal that matured and today, after continuous and tireless efforts, this goal has become a reality, emphasized Mr. Theodosis, referring to “the Thessaloniki-Smyrna friendship line”, as he described the 14-hour route, which the Smyrna Di Levante will serve .
Mr. Theodosis also underlined that “the bridge that Levante Ferries is building will bring the two neighboring peoples closer, they will get to know each other better, bringing significant benefits to the development of bilateral trade and tourism relations”.
Itineraries
It is noted that the ship will depart from Thessaloniki every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 19:00, arriving in Izmir the next day at 09:00, while it will depart from Izmir every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 19:00, arriving in Thessaloniki the next day at 09:00. The price of the ticket is 81 euros (deck), while in the airplane seat it rises to 95 euros and in the cabins it starts from 120 euros per person (four-bed interior) up to 220 euros per person while the single bed reaches 440 euros, with the return fare offering discounts. The fare for the car is 120 euros and it is reduced on the return.
“Greek flag”
The Greek-flagged ship has a length of 158.42 meters, a width of 21.60 meters and a maximum draft of 5.719 meters. Its maximum speed is 20 knots and service speed 18 knots, while it has the capacity to transport 948 passengers with four-bed, two-bed cabins and airline-type seats/ It also has a transport capacity of 1,000 lane meters for trucks and 300 cars.
Smyrna Di Levante, which starts its routes in a particularly sensitive period for Greek-Turkish relations, does not only connect Greece with Turkey, but also Europe with Asia. In this way, passengers and cargo will be served to Europe, the Balkans and vice versa, with the utilization of the Egnatia highway as well. Many trucks through this connection will be able to reach Bari and Angona easily and comfortably, with a single ticket.
The company aspires to prove that the use of the ship mainly for trucks is a much more reliable and profitable solution than the road route which also includes the Greece-Turkey border crossing at Kipoi on the Evros river. Coastal shipping agents told NEA newspaper that this is a wager that everyone will watch with interest
The Deputy Minister of Shipping Kostas Katsafados and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos also spoke at the Consecration ceremony.
The Deputy Minister of Shipping, Mr. Katsafados, stated, that the new line is a “a hand of friendship” in these difficult times for bilateral relations.
The ship owner of Smyrna Di Levante, Levante Ferries was founded in 2014 by the Zakynthian-born businessman Giorgos Theodosis and was initially active in the Ionian Sea and in particular the sea area of Patras – Kyllini – Zakynthos – Kefalonia – Ithaca, while now it has “opened sails” in Aegean, with the new link between Smyrna and Thessaloniki.
It has a fleet of six ships, five of which are in operation, while the sixth, Contessa di Levante, was recently acquired and is currently being refitted.
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