Aboitiz Transport System (ATS), one of the country’s largest shipping operators, has purchased two second-hand roll-on/roll-off (RORO) passenger vessels from Japan worth $ 7.5 million each.
The MV Sunflower Kogane from The Diamond Ferry Co, Ltd. Oita, Japan and MV Sunflower Nishiki from Kansai Kisen Kaisha each has a 9,700 gross tonnage, 400-twenty-foot equivalent unit capacity and can carry about 2,000 passengers. Delivery is expected next month.
“Aiming towards operational excellence, the vessel purchase is intended to modernize its current fleet to achieve greater efficiencies,” ATS said in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.
“These vessels are also expected to provide additional options for SuperFerry passengers traveling during this coming summer season and better support the growing value added business of 2GO,” it said.
At the moment, ATS has five vessels under the SuperFerry brand.
Six others are under sister company, Cebu Ferry.
Last year, ATS chartered vessels to accommodate higher cargo space demand due to the grounding of all Sulpicio Lines vessels following a maritime disaster.
For the first three quarters of 2009, ATS registered a net income of P428.8 million, a reversal from the previous year’s net loss of P49.4 million. (PNA)