Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

9 8 INTERV IEW Looking to the future Jadrolinija’s David Sopta tells Justin Merrigan how Croatia’s national ferry line is steering a steady course J adrolinija is a vital ferry link connecting major centres along the Croatian coast and most of the county’s islands with the mainland. It also operates several international routes linking the country to Italy. Although no operator could have been fully prepared for the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Jadrolinija has coped with this extremely difficult period with great success. This is largely thanks to its flexibility and adherence to measures prescribed by the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia. Consequently, despite the disruption brought by Covid-19, CEO David Sopta maintains a positive outlook and says that when it comes to plans and hopes for the future, Jadrolinija’s main business mission remains the restoration of its fleet. “Before the pandemic we made some significant investments into the fleet, which was possible thanks to successful financial results from record-breaking seasons of the previous three years.” Car ferry Ugljan joined the fleet in July, while Faros made its first voyage as a member of Jadrolinija’s fleet in August. Another new member of the fleet, car ferry Lošinj, is due to debut soon. “We are certain that we will navigate out of this crisis successfully, and when the financial situation becomes more favourable, we will be able to continue investing in our fleet,” says Sopta. This goal will be greatly assisted by recent easing of travel restrictions. In March and April, when travelling restrictions were in force, Jadrolinija remained the vital “We need to remain responsible and think of better days ahead” Photos: Jadrolinija