Tirrenia (company)

Tirrenia Società Anonima di Navigazione was founded in 1936, resulting from the nationalization of many privately-owned Italian lines. The company gathered a fleet of 55 ships. When World War II broke out, the number of lines were reduced. By 1942, 50 ships were sunk during the armed conflicts in the Mediterranean sea.[2]

After World War II, the few ships surviving the conflict were used to connect Italian islands, mainly Sardinia, to the mainland. The company became public and its name was changed to Tirrenia di Navigazione S.p.A. In 1965, the company launched the production of fully-fledged ferries, the Poet class.[2] In the 1970s, ships were gradually replaced by ferries and the company developed its freight activities. In 1975, Tirrenia bought the Malta Express ferry.[2] Since the end of the 1980s, the company replaced its older units, most of which were obsolete or too expensive to operate and were then scrapped, with faster ones capable of reaching 35–40 knots.

On 23 December 2009, the Italian government, after having subsidised the company for some years, put Tirrenia on the market through its privatisation agency Fintecna. Sixteen companies joined the bidding, including SNAV, Grandi Navi Veloci, Grimaldi Lines, Moby Lines, Ustica Lines, Corsica Ferries and Mediterranea Holding (including Regione Siciliana and Alexis Tomasos). Mediterranea Holding ended up alone when all the other bidders withdrew and on 28 July 2010 were declared the winner of the bidding for Tirrenia and Siremar. On 4 August, Fintecna announced that the sale would not happen, as Mediterranea Holding had not shown up for signing. On 12 August, the company officially entered receivership, as requested by commissioner Giancarlo D'Andrea.[3]

An agreement was then made for Tirrenia to be taken over by Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione (Cin) in 2012. However, in May 2012 the competition authority opened an investigation into whether a dominant position in routes to Sardinia would be created.[4][5] Tirrenia was privatised in 2012.

In 2014, the company moved from its historic Naples headquarters of Rione Sirignano to Calata Porta di Massa, Interno Porto.[2] In 2015, Tirrenia was entirely acquired by Vincenzo Onorato and became part of the Onorato Armatori group. Pietro Manunta was named president and Massimo Mura Managing Director.[6] Vincenzo Onorato also owns the other ferry company of Naples, Moby Lines.[7] In 2019, Tirrenia raised its prices, leading to reactions from the weakened local competition.[8]

Tirrenia Group included until 2010 the following company:

• Siremar (Sicilia Regionale Marittima). Connects Sicily with the Aeolian Islands, Aegadian Islands, Ustica, Lampedusa and Pantelleria.

Ship name	Flag	Built	Route	Tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Lanemeters	Speed Knots
Sharden		2005	Civitavecchia ↔ Olbia Genoa ↔ Porto Torres	39.780 GT	214,6 m	26,4 m	3.000	1.085	1.900	29
Bithia		2001	Genoa ↔ Olbia / Porto Torres Civitavecchia ↔ Olbia	36.475 GT	214,6 m	26,4 m	2.700	900	915	29
Janas		2002	Genoa ↔ Olbia / Porto Torres Civitavecchia ↔ Olbia	36.475 GT	214,6 m	26,4 m	2.700	900	915	29
Athara		2003	Genoa ↔ Olbia / Porto Torres Civitavecchia ↔ Olbia	36.475 GT	214,6 m	26,4 m	2.700	900	915	29
Vincenzo Florio		1999	Naples ↔ Palermo	30.650 GT	180,3 m	26,8 m	1.470	625	2.000	23
Raffaele Rubattino		2000	Naples ↔ Palermo	30.650 GT	180,3 m	26,8 m	1.470	625	2.000	23
Isola di Capraia		1999	Termoli ↔ Tremiti	1.927 GT	70,9 m	12,4 m	550	57	-	28

• 
  Ro-Ro Beniamino Carnevale.
• 
  M/S Athara to Genoa.
• 
  M/S Sharden in Olbia.
• 
  M/S Bithia to Genoa.
• 
  House flag of Tirrenia

• Vincenzo Onorato

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tirrenia di Navigazione.

• Official Website