Minoan Lines Brings Greeks Back Home from Italy

Photo source: Minoan Lines

Greek passenger shipping company Minoan Lines last weekend transferred 244 Greek citizens from Italy to Greece, contributing to their repatriation, following the restrictions imposed on air, land and sea travel worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minoan Lines’ Cruise Olympia ferry on Saturday, March 21, transferred the Greek citizens – mostly students and families – and 45 vehicles, from Ancona in Italy to the ports of Igoumenitsa and Patra in Greece.

The passenger shipping company worked closely with the Greek Ministry of Shipping, the Secretariat for Civil Protection and the Greek Embassy in Rome in identifying the repatriation needs of Greek nationals and implementing additional transport solutions as quickly as possible in line with the evolving situation and the new restrictions imposed on shipping companies.

To ensure a safe trip, Minoan Lines strictly followed the safety guidelines of the Hellenic National Public Health Organization and the designated authorities.

“It is our responsibility to confront this crisis with social sensitivity by adopting strategies and initiatives that benefit the society and support our employees, customers, partners and Greece’s economy. Supporting our fellow citizens and giving them the opportunity to have a safe trip back home from Italy’s coronavirus red zone, was the least we could do,” the company said in an announcement.