Fourth weekly departure between Genoa and Catania.
Naples, 25th of January 2010 - The Grimaldi Group, as part of its strategy of further expanding its presence in the Western Mediterranean, launches an unprecedent initiative in view of strengthening its maritime connections for freight and passengers between the ports of Catania, Genoa, Civitavecchia and Malta.

Starting from 1st of February 2010, the European leader in the Motorways of the Sea will provide an additional departure on the Genoa-Catania route, increasing the frequency from three to four times a week in both directions. Thanks to this increased frequency, the loading capacity offered by the Grimaldi Group on the above route will increase by 30%.

Departures from Genoa will be on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 7,00 pm and on Saturday at 5,00 pm; departures from Catania on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 12,00 pm and on Saturday at 7,00 pm. Furthermore, two departures, on Tuesday and on Saturday, will have Malta as final destination, thus further expanding the trade opportunities between Northern Italy, Sicily and the Maltese archipelago.

The Genoa-Catania route will be served by modern and technologically advanced ro/ro vessels and car ferries, which are extremely versatile and respectful of the environment. This enhancement will benefit not only transport and logistics operators of the island of Sicily, which will have a better access to markets in Northern Italy and the rest of Europe, but also the industrial area of Catania, one of the biggest in Italy. Thanks to this initiative of the Grimaldi Group, the port of Catania will strengthen its role in the Motorways of the Sea, laying the foundations for a further increase in freight traffic in 2010.

The Grimaldi Group adds La Valletta also to the line linking Civitavecchia with Catania, with a departure every Saturday from the port of Rome. The Group plans to develop a new travel concept, extending the opportunity for passengers, with new promotional packages and advantageous low-cost formulas, to combine leisure and entertainment with comfort and relax on board the ferry "Catania", capable of carrying up to 800 passengers.

“This initiative aims at giving a support to the economic development of Sicily and to its citizens” said Mr. Guido Grimaldi, Short Sea Lines Commercial Manager. “Our ships have been serving the ports of Catania, Palermo and Trapani for years by providing efficient services for the transport of goods to and from Sicily, thus contributing to enhance Sicily’s mobility and economic cohesion with the rest of Europe. The increase of frequency to 4 weekly departures on the Catania-Genoa route proves our willingness to become the most efficient and strongest economic tool for the transport of goods between Sicily and the rest of Europe. Travelling by sea avoids road traffic and exhausting driving hours to Northern Italy, while generating important savings. We are confident that these initiatives will also assist regional tourism as we intend to launch in the coming months new offers for passengers travelling to Sicily with their families”, concludes Guido Grimaldi.

Contact: External Relations: Paul Kyprianou +39 081 496 246 kyprianou.paul@grimaldi.napoli.it