KÖLN-DÜSSELDORFER Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt GmbH
KÖLN-DÜSSELDORFER Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG: KD is once again operating as a river cruise operator
KÖLN-DÜSSELDORFER Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG / Key word(s): Travel/ ‘We are back!’ KD is once again operating as a river cruise operator Following a legal dispute with Viking Flusskreuzfahrten GmbH which lasted four years, the verdict of the Higher Regional Court Cologne of June 15 has enabled Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG to return to the cruise business. After a total of 12 years’ enforced abstinence, KD may now, with immediate effect, once again function as a cruise operator. ‘This judgment is a great success for KD and will have a long-term positive influence on the future of our company. As the originator of river cruises we still have the necessary professional know-how and will use our international renown to good effect,’ said a happy Norbert Schmitz, a member of the KD Managing Board, after the judgment had been announced. The success story of the river cruises began in 1960. With MS Europa, Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG constructed the first cabin ship at the Christof Ruthof shipyard in Mainz. Back then MS Europa, with its 75 double cabins, was used on the Basel – Rotterdam route and on the Moselle. The commissioning of this first cabin vessel heralded a new era in river shipping which was started by KD, meaning that we can rightly be called the inventor of river cruisers. Following the successes on the Rhine, Main, Moselle and Danube, KD turned its hand to pioneering work on the Elbe by developing two low-draft ships – MS Clara Schumann und MS Theodor Fontane – especially for use there. They were employed immediately after German reunification in 1991. In total KD placed 12 river cruise ships in service and was for decades the market leader on European rivers. Because the company was split in 2000 by the main shareholder at the time, WestLB, Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG was forced to sell its river cruise division together with all the cabin ships. KD then concentrated on day trips on its ships. In the course of its further development KD has reorganised itself and upgraded the market by, among other things, commissioning the most modern event catamaran in Europe, MS RheinEnergie. Last year the modern event fleet was complemented by MS RheinFantasie. When and in what form KD will re-enter the cruise business will be announced to the general public shortly.
Cologne, 15.06.2012 End of Media Release 20.06.2012 Dissemination of a Press Release, transmitted by DGAP – a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP’s Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de |
Language: | English | |
Company: | KÖLN-DÜSSELDORFER Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG | |
Frankenwerft 35 | ||
50667 Köln | ||
Germany | ||
Phone: | 0221-2088-400 | |
Fax: | 0221-2088-213 | |
E-mail: | klaus.hadeler@k-d.com | |
Internet: | www.k-d.com | |
ISIN: | DE0008286006, DE0008286006 | |
WKN: | 828600, 828600 | |
Listed: | Regulierter Markt in Düsseldorf; Freiverkehr in Berlin; Open Market in Frankfurt | |
End of News | DGAP-Media |
174742 20.06.2012 |