PRESS RELEASE

COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GRIMALDI GROUP AND NEL

The two operators join forces on the Italy-Greece South Adriatic route
Naples/Piraeus, 2nd October 2012 The Grimaldi Group and NEL join forces by announcing the start, as from the 3rd of October 2012, of a close cooperation on the Brindisi-Igoumenitsa route. The cooperation between the two maritime operators covers both operational and commercial matters. Operationally, the agreement foresees the introduction of daily departures to be offered from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa for the transport of any type of rolling equipment (cars, vans, trucks, etc.) as well as passengers. Departures from Brindisi will be every day: - from Monday to Saturday at 19:00 hours with arrival in Igoumenitsa the following day at 04:00 hours. - on Sunday at 13:00 hours with arrival in Igoumenitsa at 22:00 hours. Sailings from Igoumenitsa will be every day at 01:00 hours on Monday with arrival in Brindisi at 08:00 hours. The vessels deployed will be the Sorrento and Florencia, two modern ro/pax ferries, built respectively in 2003 and 2005. Each vessel can transport, at a service speed of 23 knots, over 950 passengers, 2,250 linear metres of rolling cargo and 170 accompanying cars. Commercially, NEL will flank Grimaldis organisation in Greece (Minoan Lines, a Grimaldi Group company) in the promotion of the joint service in Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. Through this move, the Neapolitan Group, world leader in ro/ro transport and main maritime operator between Italy and Greece, and the Mytilene-based Greek operator NEL consolidate further their position in the South Adriatic Italy-Greece maritime routes. In the framework of this cooperation, both companies commit to deploy additional tonnage between Brindisi and various Greek destinations in the summer period in order to satisfy the needs of holidaymakers bound to Greece. To mark the start of this fruitful partnership, a special discount of Euro 100.00 from the official pricelist will be granted to any truck or trailer booked between 03.10.12 and 09.10.12 in order to persuade new customers to use the service.
For further information: Grimaldi Group, Paul Kyprianou Ph:+39 081/496246 E-mail: kyprianou.paul@grimaldi.napoli.it NEL LINES S.A., E-mail: a.formentini@nel.gr

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The Grimaldi Group operates a fleet of more than 100 ships and is a world leading operator in the transport of cars and ro/ro cargo. Established in 1947, the Group is headquartered in Naples and has about 10,000 employees. In 2011, it transported over 3 million cars, 1.52 million trailers and TEUs and more than 2.8 million passengers. In the passenger sector, the Group controls Finnlines, leader in ro/ro transport in the Baltic Sea and Minoan Lines, the Greek ferry operator leader in the Adriatic Sea and on the route between Piraeus and Crete.