anniversary1988-2018

30th

MALTA-SICILYEXPRESS FERRIES

2 VIRTU FERRIES LIMITED

TIM

ELIN

E1988 INAUGURATION

1989 THE LEBANESE CIVIL WAR

1990 SES SAN FRANGISK

1990 HH JOHN PAUL II

1999 COMMENCEMENT OF THE PASSENGER / VEHICLE FERRY SERVICE

2001 SES SAN PAWL & M/V SAN GWANN JOIN THE VIRTU FLEET

2003 VENEZIA LINES

2006 THE SECOND LEBANESE CIVIL WAR

2006 M/V MARIA DOLORES

2007 SCHENGEN ZONE

2010 HH POPE BENEDICT XVI IN MALTA

2010 MV JEAN DE LA VALETTE

2011 THE LIBYA CRISIS

2015 EVACUATION OF THE ITALIAN EMBASSY FROM TRIPOLI

2016 VIRTU FERRIES BUSINESS CENTRE

2017 VIRTU FINANCE PLC

2018 M/V ST JOHN PAUL II

Virtu Ferries is a household name both inMalta and a good number of localities inSicily. What is less well known is that Virtuis acknowledged worldwide as pioneersand leaders in High Speed Ferry travel andcarriage of cargo.

As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, on17th July 2018, we inevitably look back-wards. Thirty years ago we started a serv-ice for 300 passengers, today we operate the largest High Speed catamaran in theMediterranean and the second largest inthe world. The service is no longer a oncedaily service; Jean de La Valette made 1006trips on the Malta – Sicily route in 2017.

Thirty years on it is also time to look to the future. Saint John Paul II will bring Maltaeven closer to mainland Europe. Jean de La Valette and Maria Dolores before it, revolutionised importation between Malta and Sicily, effectively becoming a bridge between the two islands. Maltese and Sicilian entrepreneurs have taken full ad-vantage of this “bridge” to offer a better

service and at a lower cost to their cus-tomers, while at the same time increasetheir margins.

Virtu Ferries is undertaking a number of initiatives to better serve the Maltese andSicilian business communities and as amajor contributor to the tourist industry, toincrease incoming tourism from Sicily. Weare evaluating the possibility of additional

ports of call and better timings of depar-tures from Sicily, when Saint John Paul IIjoins Jean de La Valette on the line in 2019.

We thank all our passengers and cus-tomers and we look to the future with confidence.

Henri SalibaManaging Director

TIMES CHANGE AND WE CHANGE WITH THEM

virTU ferries LiMiTed 3

1988INAUGURATION

1989THE LEBANESE CIVIL WAR

330Passengers

& Crew

SES Virgin Butterfly1988 - 1990

ON CHARTER

17th July 1988inauguration of the Malta - sicilyhigh speed passenger ferry service

in 1989, during the Lebanese civil War,virtu ferries were the only ferry companyoperating out of the christian enclave of Beirut.The ses santa Maria (on charter)was featured in the international media.

MALTA-SICILYhigh speed ferry service

4 VIRTU FERRIES LIMITED

1990 1999COMMENCEMENT OF

THE PASSENGER/VEHICLE FERRY SERVICE

2000 2001

330Passengers

& Crew

SES San Frangisk1990 -

DELIVERED FROM BUILDERS,BRODRENE AA, NORWAY

427Passengers

& Crew

M/V San Gwann2001 - 2016

DELIVERED FROM BUILDERS,FJELLSTRAND A/S,NORWAY, 2011

HH JOHN PAUL IIVirtu had the honour of hosting HH Pope

John Paul II on San Frangisk on a voyage to St Paul’s Islands and Gozo and the memorable

re-entry into Grand Harbour, Valletta. May 1990

M/V San GwannTHE COMPANY’S FIRST

VEHICLE / PASSENGER FERRY

Avant Avant (on charter)

SES San Pawl - sister ship of San Frangisk

Hospital Ship San Pawl, with the Red Cross,ferrying war casualties from war torn Libyato Tunisia for medical treatment in 2011.

ED Travel (on charter)

21Vehicles

VIRTU FERRIES LIMITED 5

2003 2006 2007

Since 2003 Virtu has been running a seasonalhigh speed passenger ferry service from Aprilto September, between Venice and Adriaticports in Slovenia and Croatia. The serviceincludes a Day Return Excursion to Venice.

VENEZIA LINES THE SECOND LEBANESE CIVIL WAR

During the Second Lebanese Civil War in 2006, M/VSan Gwann was chartered to the Government ofAustralia to evacuate Australian citizens and othernationalities from Beirut to Larnaca in Cyprus.

A delegation of Italian dignitaries, led by the Honourable DottVittorio Craxi, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary delegated to theUnited Nations, welcomed the Maria Dolores and the firstMaltese Schengen Passengers on the quay at Pozzallo.

SCHENGEN ZONE

Malta joined the Schengen Zone on 21st December 2007. Thefirst Maltese passengers to avail themselves of passport-freetravel arrived in Pozzallo, on M/V Maria Dolores, at 8am on thatvery day. Another first for Virtu.

M/V Maria Dolores, revolutionised the carriage of goodsbetween Malta and our closest European neighbour, Sicily. Maltafinally became part of the Single Market in everyday terms.Importers, exporters and the Maltese public began to experiencethe advantages of the economies of scale of the single marketon a daily basis. The success of Maria Dolores was such that, in2008, Virtu contracted the building of another vessel with agreater capacity for trailers and commercial vehicles.

M/V Maria DoloresDELIVERED FROM BUILDERS,AUSTAL SHIPS, WESTERN

AUSTRALIA, 2006

600Passengers & Crew

65Cars

35Cars

95Truck-lanemeters

OR

2010HH POPE BENEDICT XVI IN MALTA

2011 2015THE LIBYA CRISIS EVACUATION OF THE ITALIAN

EMBASSY FROM TRIPOLI

HH  Pope  Benedict  XVI  visited  Malta  in  April  2010. Thehighlight  of His Holiness’s  visit was  the Grand Harbourcrossing  from  Kalkara  to  Valletta.  Pope  Benedict  wasVirtu’s Guest of Honour on San Pawl for that crossing.

When  sectarian  fighting  escalated  in  Libya  in2015, Virtu deployed  the M/V San Gwann,  onbehalf the Italian Government, to evacuate theItalian Embassy and Military Mission from Tripoli,Libya to Augusta  in Sicily, under escort of theMarina Militare.

Virtu Ferries responded to the Libya Crisis of 2011by deploying Maria Dolores, San Gwann and SanPawl on multiple voyages to evacuate thousands of expatriates of various nationalities as well asLibyans, many suffering horrendous war injuries, toMalta and Tunisia for life saving medical treatment. 

These voyages were undertaken on behalf of theGovernments  of Malta  and  the United States  ofAmerica, The  International  Red  Cross, MedicinesSans  Frontières  as  well  as  major  internationalcorporations Hyundai, Westerngeco and Odebrecht.

Virtu also operated voyages on its own account andhad  the  satisfaction  of  offering  free  passage  toMaltese nationals stranded in Libya.

Jean de La Valette is  synonymous with Sicily. With  1006voyages between the two islands it has made Sicily a homefrom home for many Maltese, now increasingly looking to Sicilyfor long and short leisure breaks. With a garage that can take 17commercial trailers, the vessel has taken Malta a step furtherto economic integration with Europe. Jean de La Valette iscurrently the largest High Speed Catamaran deployed in theMediterranean and the second largest in the world.

M/V Jean de La Valette2010 -

DELIVERED FROM BUILDERS, AUSTALSHIPS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 2010

800Passengers & Crew

156Cars

45Cars

342Truck-lanemeters

OR

2018M/V ST JOHN PAUL II

BUILDERS - INCAT, TASMANIADELIVERY - Q4 2018

900Passengers & Crew

23Heavy commercialtrailers in 490 truck-lane meters

OR167Cars

6 VIRTU FERRIES LIMITED

VIRTU FERRIES LIMITED 7

2016VIRTU FERRIES BUSINESS CENTRE

2017VIRTU FINANCE PLC

In 2016, The Virtu Ferries BusinessCentre, housed in the Company’sPassenger Terminal, was openedas a venue for promoting tradebetween Malta and Sicily. VirtuFerries invites Maltese and Sicilianmanufacturers and suppliers, toexhibit at the Centre. Theseexhibitions are open to the public.Entrance is free for both exhibitorsand viewers.

The €25,000,000 3.75% Unsecured Virtu Finance plc Bond 2027was listed on the Malta Stock Exchange on 7th December 2017.

Hull 089, the new110 meter RoPax

ferry on orderfrom Virtu Ferries

is taking shape at the Incat

shipbuilding yardin Tasmania.

At 1000 tons deadweight, Wavepiercing Catamaran Saint John Paul II will be thelargest High Speed RoPax Catamaran operating in the Mediterranean and thesecond largest in the world. The vessel is being built in accordance with the EUMaritime Green Policy, which seeks to promote an innovative, competitive andenvironmentally-friendly maritime industry. Both Incat, the builders, and MTU,the engine manufacturers, are world leaders in the field.

Saint John Paul II will join Jean de La Valette on the Malta-Sicily route in early 2019and will open new opportunities for Maltese/Sicilian cooperation in various fields.

8 VIRTU FERRIES LIMITED

EXCURSIONSBased on continuous passenger feedbackand popular requests, Virtu continue to update and improve their:

• Year-Round Day Return Excursions to Sicily. Provides tourists in Malta with the possibility of a two-point holiday.

• Seasonal Day Return Excursion to Malta. Brings thousands of visitors from southern Sicily to Malta.

• The increasingly popular Adventure Excursions.

• Vacanze Maltesi is Virtu Ferries’ tour oper-ating arm in Sicily. Today the largest touroperator, operating to Malta from Sicily.