A new passenger and vehicle catamaran service to Sicily, originally planned to start in June 2023, has been further delayed.

The newly formed company Ragusa Xpress’s service missed its latest deadline, which was set for September.

According to Sicilian news media, while the 51-metre catamaran started its latest round of technical checks in the Marina di Ragusa port this week, a date has yet to be announced for when the promised daily crossing between Valletta and Marina di Ragusa will start.

It is reported that Paul Gauci, the Maltese businessman behind the project and the owner of Pama and Pavi supermarkets, has still not obtained all the necessary permits to start the long-awaited service.

The end of October has now been set as the new deadline for the start of operations.

Italian media reports on the delay of the Ragusa Xpress.

Gauci acquired a 30-year concession for the Marina di Ragusa in 2022, a touristic port that mainly serves as a yacht marina, from an Italian company that ran into financial difficulties.

Gauci bought an old catamaran to start providing a daily 45-minute scheduled crossing between Malta and Ragusa.

Gauci’s catamaran, previously named the San Gwann, was one of the first catamarans built by Virtu Ferries to start operating their crossings to Pozzallo decades ago.

Renamed Ragusa Xpress, the catamaran can carry up to 430 passengers and some 20 vehicles.

If Gauci’s catamaran service starts, it will be the second such service connecting Malta and Sicily. It is expected to compete with Virtu Ferries, which runs twice-daily crossings to Pozzallo with a modern fleet.

Apart from acquiring Marina di Ragusa’s concession, Gauci plans to develop the marina’s hinterland by constructing tourism-related projects. This has already raised eyebrows among residents and members of the Ragusa local government.

No defined plans have been put in place yet.