Gozo Channel sails to higher profit

Gozo Channel saw an increase of seven percent in passenger numbers and eight percent in the number of cars it carried last year compared to 2006, Investments Minister Austin Gatt said today.

The line carried 3.7 million passengers and 1.01 million cars last year, an all time record.

Profits rose by 182 percent over 2006 figures, from €657,000 to €1.85 million. The company used to make a loss up to 2003-2004 but was then restructured.

Dr Gatt said the line had been especially busy over the Carnival weekend, when it carried 65,000 passengers and 20,000 cars, a 47 percent increase over Carnival 2006. The number of trips over Carnival rose from 237 to 317

The minister said the new passenger terminal at Mgarr will be fully operational next year.

He also said that the government will announce an investment programme for Gozo next week.