ACI eyes new seaplanes for customers

Croatian marina operator ACI Marinas has announced plans to invest some €12m (US$14.5m) to purchase new seaplanes, allowing the company to transport customers to its marinas on the country’s Adriatic coast. The marina operator has long planned to carry out the investment, but the coronavirus pandemic forced it to postpone its implementation, according to local daily Slobodna Dalmacija. ACI Marinas was one of the companies which bought the assets of the bankrupt European Coastal Airlines. Before the seaplane operator shut down its operations in 2016, it offered flights from the Croatian mainland to the country’s islands.

ACI Marinas estimates that its investment could be paid off in 11 years, provided its new services attract 65,000 passengers per year. The project will allow the marina operator to offer services to 30 locations and create 56 new jobs.

Based in Opatija, in the northwest of the country, ACI runs 22 marinas in the Croatian market. The company is listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE), and Croatia’s Treasury is its majority shareholder with a stake of 77.09%. 

Source: IBI News