Maritime Company of Lesvos

Maritime Company of Lesvos S.A.
Company typePassenger ferry company
Founded1972
Defunct2015
FateBankruptcy
SuccessorBlue Star Ferries Hellenic Seaways
Headquarters,
Footnotes / references
Bankruptcy in 2015

NEL LINES (Greek: Ναυτιλιακή Εταιρία Λέσβου, Naftiliaki Eteria Lesvou) was established in 1972, as a company of popular base with shareholders the residents of Lesvos island and primary aim the purchase of a liner vessel for the Mitilini-Chios-Piraeus route. Since then, the company has expanded, serving most of the Aegean sea destinations.

More specifically, with high-speed and conventional passenger-ferry boats executes intra-Cyladic itineraries connecting Syra and Lavrion with Eastern, Central and Western Cyclades, Lavrion with Psara and Mesta of Chios, Heraklion and Rethimno with Santorini and Thessaloniki and Volos with the Sporades complex.

With passenger-ferry boats NEL LINES also executes itineraries between Piraeus, Chios and Mitilini and connects the islands of Northern Aegean with Thessaloniki, Kavala and Lavrion.

In 2015 Nel lines declared bankruptcy and ceased operations, citing the financial crises and losing subsidized routes rival to rival operators.