Piraeus: Leading passenger port in Europe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(AMNA) - Passenger traffic in the port of Piraeus fell to 17,669,774 passengers in 2013, from 17,978,728 in 2012, although passenger traffic in the sea cruise sector jumped 11.10 pct to 2,296,457 departure-arrivals from 2,066,925 in 2012, official figures showed on Monday.

According to AMNA, a report released by the Piraeus Port Organization said that passenger traffic in the coastal shipping sector (Aegean sea lines) totaled 5,741,167 passengers, while passenger traffic in Argosaronic Gulf was 1,856,519 passengers.

The report also said that vehicle traffic fell to 2,549,407 units in 2013 from 2,701,891 in 2012, while cargo traffic rose to 644,055 TEUs in 2013, from 625,914 one year earlier.

George Anomeritis, chairman and chief executive of Piraeus Port Organization, commenting on the report said that despite a small deviation of figures “the port of Piraeus remains Europe’s largest passenger port and one of the top 10 in container traffic in Europe."

Anomeritis said he expected traffic to move around the same or slightly higher levels this year.