| Corsica Linea | |
| Image Alt: | A red-painted ship arriving at harbour |
| Founder: | François Padrona Pascal Trojani |
| Location Country: | France |
| Industry: | Maritime Transport (passengers and freight) |
| Owner: | CM Holding |
| Num Employees: | 1104 employees (2021) |
| Revenue: | €158 million (2021) |
| Homepage: | https://www.corsicalinea.com |
Corsica Linea is a French shipping company that operates passenger, vehicle and cargo ferries in the Mediterranean Sea.
The company's nine vessels serve routes connecting Marseille with Corsica, Algeria and Tunisia.
On 20 November 2015, the SNCM, a previous ferry operator operating similar routes, was placed into receivership, having been in financial difficulties for more than a year. The assets of this company subsequently passed to Maritime Corse Méditerranée (MCM). Following this, a consortium of companies known as Corsica Marittima founded a new company named Corsica Linea, which commenced operations on 5 January 2016.[1]
The first route was started between Marseille and Bastia, initially using the vessel Stena Carrier,[2] hired from Stena Lines, then using Corsica Linea Dui, hired from Transfennica.[3]
On 17 February 2016, Corsica Linea and MCM announced their merger, with all MCM property moving to Corsica Linea and Patrick Rocca, the owner, becoming a member of Corsica Marittima, the operating consortium.[4] [5]
During the next year, the former SNCM fleet was repainted into a new red, white and black livery. The only former SNCM vessel not to move into the Corsica Linea fleet was Corse, which was sold in spring 2016.[6]
During the 2016 financial year, Corsica Linea estimated €170 million in revenue, a 40% increase compared to SNCM's operations in the previous year.[7]
In 2019, Corsica Linea announced an order for their first new RoPax ferry from Cantiere Navale Visentini in Porto Viro. A Galeotta entered service in 2023 on the Marseille-Bastia route and is the first ferry to serve Corsica that is powered by LNG,[8] demonstrating Corsica Linea's commitment to improving the energy performance and emissions of their vessels.[9]
On 8 January 2024, Corsica Linea announced the signing of a contract with Stena RoRo for a second new vessel, this time an E-Flexer powered by LNG. It will enter service in March 2026 on the Marseille-Ajaccio and Bastia routes, being chartered from Stena with an option for it to be purchased at a later date. It will be constructed at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard, Weihai, China.[10] The vessel is expected to transition to operate with either Bio-LNG or e-LNG at a later date in line with the company's objective to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.[11]
| Image | Ship | Flag | Built | Entered Service | Gross tonnage | Length | Beam | Passengers | Vehicles | Service speed | Current status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danielle Casanova |  | 2002 | 2016 | 176 m | 30.4 m | 2800 | 700 | 24 knots | Laid up in Marseille | |||
| Jean Nicoli | | 1998 | 2016 | 200.65 m | 25 m | 1500 | 1000 | 26.4 knots | In service | |||
| Pascal Paoli | | 2003 | 2016 | 176 m | 30.5 m | 550 | 130 | 23 knots | In service | |||
| Paglia Orba | | 1994 | 2016 | 165.8 m | 29 m | 600 | 120 | 23 knots | In service | |||
| Monte d'Oro | | 1991 | 2016 | 145 m | 25.7 m | 528 | 130 | 20.7 knots | In service | |||
| Méditerranée | | 1989 | 2016 | 165.8 m | 27.4 m | 2780 | 800 | 24 knots | Laid up in Marseille | |||
| Vizzavona | | 1999 | 2018 | 188 m | 28.7 m | 800 | 130 | 23 knots | In service | |||
| A Nepita | | 2002 | 2020 | 203 m | 25 m | 1200 | 500 | 22 knots | In service | |||
| A Galeotta | | 2022 | 2023 | 206 m | 28.2 m | 1000 | 149 | 22 knots | In service |
The Corsica Linea fleet makes round trips between Marseille and the ports of Ajaccio, Bastia, Ile Rousse, Propriano on Corsica. In addition, there are weekly departures from Marseille to the Algerian ports of Algiers and Béjaïa, as well as to Tunis.[12] [13] [14] [15] Seasonal connections to Skikda operate from June to September.[16]
| Lines | Duration | Vessel | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marseille ↔ Bastia | 13 hours on average | Pascal Paoli A Galeotta Vizzavona Paglia Orba | Daily | |
| Marseille ↔ Ajaccio | 12 hours on average | Vizzavona A Galeotta | On alternate day | |
| Marseille ↔ Ile Rousse | 12 hours on average | Monte d'Oro | 3x weekly | |
| Marseille ↔ Propriano | 13 hours on average | A Nepita Paglia Orba | 3x weekly | |
| Marseille ↔ Tunis | 22 hours on average | Jean Nicoli Danielle Casanova | 1x weekly ; 3x weekly (June–September) | |
| Marseille ↔ Algiers | 22 hours on average | Jean Nicoli Méditerranée | 1x weekly ; 3x weekly (June–September) | |
| Marseille ↔ Béjaïa | 22 hours on average | Jean Nicoli | 1x weekly | |
| Marseille ↔ Skikda | 22 hours on average | Jean Nicoli | Seasonal (June–September) | |
| Sète ↔ Béjaïa | 22 hours on average | Jean Nicoli | Seasonal (June–September) | |
| Sète ↔ Skikda | 22 hours on average | Jean Nicoli | Seasonal (June–September) |
https://www.corsicalinea.com/eng/company/the-company/discover-corsica-linea2