Audit Office criticisms of ferry operations ‘did not provide the full picture’

The recent audit report into the operations of the ferry service between Cyprus and Greece “did not take into account the provisions of the contract itself”, deputy shipping minister Marina Hadjimanoli said on Wednesday.

“When the investigation began at the deputy ministry of shipping regarding the sea passenger connection, we were asked to provide some explanations regarding some questions they had,” she said.

The audit office had published a report in early April on the operations of contractor Scandro Holding Ltd, finding that from 2022 until 2025, the ferries were running on an average 49 per cent capacity but were still getting paid in full via a state subsidy.

The investigation revealed that, although demand was high and tickets sold out as soon as the platform opened, average number of passengers per route amounted to 173, almost half of the ferry’s 350 passenger capacity.

The investigation followed several complaints over unavailable ferry tickets, with the Audit Office emphasising that it had verified the numbers through the deputy shipping ministry.

“We answered all the questions with data, but for their own reasons they [the Audit Office] chose not to take them into account and to proceed with their own findings, which is really strange to us, because when they made the calculations to conclude that the ship is travelling almost empty, they did not take into account the fact that some months the ship travels with fewer passengers and some months at 100 per cent occupancy,” Hadjimanoli said.

The deputy minister underlined that there was full compliance with the terms of the contract, stressing that this was evident from the most recent figures.

“If around 8,000 passengers travelled last year, how is it possible that the ship is travelling empty, perhaps something in their calculations is not correct,” she said.

Head of the contracting company Scandro Holding Ltd, Charalambos Manolis, said that the Audit Office may not have taken into account that demand varies depending on the month and highlighted that the Daleela ferry, which carried out the connection in the previous four years, had three times the capacity provided for in the contract.

“What had to be taken into account is that the contract stipulates that the contracting company transports at least 100 people per trip, that is, 60 people in cabins and 40 in seats, and that we have a ship with three times the capacity,” he said, accusing the Audit Office of having based its findings on the ferry’s capacity rather than the agreed provisions.

The Daleela has since been replaced and will now be carried out by the Italian-flagged AF Marina, with the first route scheduled for May 29.

According to Hadjimanoli, the AF Marina is set to provide enhanced amenities and boast an expanded passenger capacity, as well as designated cabins for those travelling with animals.

The ferry has a passenger capacity of 394 people who will be accommodated in a total of 10 double cabins, 20 single cabins and 58 quadruple cabins, all of which are equipped with private bathrooms.

The AF Marina will be operated by the same contractor as the Daleela was in previous years.