Attica Group has completed the sale of its 1987-built RoPax ferry Lefka Ori to a Cyprus-based company for €8.3 million, the Greek ferry operator announced this week. The vessel was delivered to its new owners in Limassol on 20 September and renamed Daleela Express.
Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan in 1987, the ship had capacity for 1,488 passengers and 1,863 lane metres of vehicle space, with a service speed of 21 knots. Previously known as Varuna, Superferry Hellas and Blue Horizon, Lefka Ori most recently operated under the Superfast Ferries brand on the Piraeus–Samos–Patmos–Leros–Kos–Rhodes route, having served Greek coastal shipping for 28 years.
Deal Terms and Vessel’s Service History
Attica Holdings, the listed parent of subsidiaries Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and Anek Lines, said the transaction generated a gain of €4.9 million that will be recognised in its financial results for the second half of 2026. The vessel had been owned by Blue Star Ferries.
Lefka Ori’s ownership history traces to its acquisition from Japan by Strintzis Lines in 1998, when it operated as Higashi Nippon’s Varuna before entering European service. Following the sale, the ferry was reflagged from Greek to Antigua and Barbuda registry, and while the buyer’s identity has not been officially disclosed, the Daleela Express name may point to Jordan-based Arab Ship Management, which operates a vessel of that name between Egypt and Sudan.
Fleet Renewal Drive Continues
The sale forms part of Attica Group’s continuing fleet renewal programme, aimed at introducing newer, more energy-efficient vessels to replace older units. Within the Saronic Gulf network, the average age of operating vessels has been reduced to 5.8 years from 18 years as a result of the programme.
In the Adriatic, deployment of the Superfast V and delivery of two newbuild RoPax vessels under construction for 2027 are expected to cut the average fleet age there to 8.6 years, down from 24.8 years previously. The Lefka Ori disposal follows the 2025 sales of sister vessels Kriti I and Kriti II, continuing a multi-year replacement cycle for the group’s oldest tonnage.
Corporate Restructuring and Market Backdrop
Attica Group is separately simplifying its corporate structure, consolidating its ferry operations into two companies: one for Greek coastal shipping and one for international routes. The consolidation of international route operations is bringing together four previously separate entities into a single company.
The disposal comes as Attica Holdings reported weaker first-half 2026 results, with EBITDA falling to €4.1 million amid fewer sailings. Divesting older tonnage while investing in newer vessels allows the group to book one-off gains, such as the €4.9 million recorded on Lefka Ori, while trimming operating costs associated with ageing ships.
Why it matters
The sale illustrates how Greece’s largest coastal and international ferry operator is accelerating fleet turnover, retiring decades-old tonnage in favour of newer, more fuel-efficient ships as it faces rising fuel and compliance costs under EU environmental rules. For the wider Greek ferry market, the steady replacement of 1980s and 1990s-built RoPax vessels signals a broader generational shift in Aegean and Adriatic passenger shipping capacity. The transaction also underscores a secondary market for older European ferries, which frequently find new service in the Middle East and North Africa after leaving Greek or Italian fleets.
Source: Ferry Shipping News
