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Attica Group turnover rises by 26.8% in 9 months 2001. Market share increase of Superfast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries in the Adriatic sea and impressive debut of Superfast Ferries in The Baltic sea.

Consolidated results for the 9 month period to 30th September, 2001, show sales of Grd 66.9 bln, an increase by 26.8% over sales of Grd 52.7 bln during the same period of last year. Net profit after interest, depreciation and taxes stands at Grd 3.6 bln of which Grd 318 mln is derived from Attica’s share in Strintzis Lines.

Total sales of the Group grew to Grd 66.9 bln generated from the revenues of six Superfast ferries operating in the Adriatic Sea and of two Superfast ferries trading in the Baltic Sea since the beginning of the summer (Grd 36.7 bln) and of the fleet of fourteen Blue Star Ferries which is operated in the Adriatic Sea and in the domestic market (Grd 30.2 bln). Both companies of the Group showed a considerable increase in their carryings between January and September 2001 in the Adriatic Sea. In particular, the six Superfast ferries carried 585,076 passengers (an increase of 8.9%), 84,760 freight units (an increase of 9.8%) and 101,072 private vehicles (a decrease of 0.6%) in the Greece-Italy routes. Superfast Ferries ranked first in passengers and trucks in the Greece-Italy-Greece traffic by ferries with a market share of 26.9% and 27.6% respectively.

In the Germany-Finland new service, Superfast VII and Superfast VIII carried in the first three months of operation over 40,000 passengers, 6,700 freight units and 14,000 private vehicles marking an impressive start in Superfast’s entry in the Baltic Sea ferry market.

Strintzis’ ships operating in the Adriatic carried 358,560 passengers (an increase of 5.8% over the same period in 2000), 52,659 trucks (a decrease of 0.9%) and 79,922 private cars (an increase of 22.2%) between January and September 2001. In the domestic market, the Blue Star fleet carried 1.8 mln passengers (an increase of 14%), 52,191 trucks (a decrease of 13%) and 236,388 private cars (an increase of 2.6%). Above data do not include traffic between Corfu and the Italian ports in the Adriatic.

For next year, the Attica Group expects the delivery of six more brand new ferries. Two of them, Superfast IX and Superfast X, will be delivered by Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG and will join Superfast VII and Superfast VIII in the Baltic trade introducing a new route between Sweden and Germany, namely between Rostock and Sodertalje, in the Stockholm area. Two more Superfast ferries, Superfast XI and Superfast XII are being built at Flender Werft, Lubeck, Germany and are due for delivery in the first half of 2002. A two-ship service is also due to start next year in May between Rosyth in Scotland and Zeebrugge in Belgium, connecting Scotland to mainland Europe in a direct and fast daily overnight service.

Two more ferries ordered by Strintzis Lines, designed for the domestic market are due for delivery in the course of the first half of 2002. Blue Star Paros and Blue Star Naxos are at the final stage of construction at Daewoo Shipyards in Eirea.

Voula, 29th November, 2001

Τhe Board of Directors

For more information please contact:
Mr. Yannis Criticos,
Attica Enterprises S.A.,
tel.: +301 891 9500,
fax : +301 891 9509,
e-mail: criticos@superfast.com