30% more passengers for Atlassib

Atlassib company, which specialises in international road transportation of passengers, registered turnover worth 32 million euros in the first half of this year, up 30% compared with the similar period of last year.
“Turnover rose due to the higher number of passengers we transported,” said businessman Ilie Carabulea, the majority stakeholder in the company. Transports to Italy and Spain weigh the most in the company’s turnover. “These destinations account for about 60% of the turnover,” he adds.
However, gross income shrank by over 40%, to 2.8 million euros from 4.1 million euros in the first half of 2005.
“Gross income was smaller than the level reached during the same period of last year because of the rising fuel prices and our bigger expenditures related to car fleet maintenance and salaries,” says Carabulea.
Last year, the company reached turnover worth 53.3 million euros and gross income standing at 8.3 million euros, according to the Finance Ministry data. Thus, if the 30% growth rate of the first half maintains, Atlassib will post turnover worth above 65 million euros at the end of this year.
Atlassib owns a car fleet of 156 coaches, 20 of which were acquired this year. At the same time, the number of coaches and buses the entire Atlassib Holding owns amounts to 478 units.
“The expansion and modernisation of the car fleet is a priority in the company’s development strategy,” specifies Carabulea.
Beside Italy and Spain, Atlassib also carries passengers to Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the Republic of Moldova. This year, Atlassib has added another two destinations: England and Greece.
In the wake of EU integration and the liberalisation of passenger transportation inside the EU, the company plans to introduce new destinations, not only to the EU, but also to Eastern Europe.
Beside transportation services, Atlassib also provides courier services. “All international transports are doubled by express courier services. These services account for 5% in the company’s turnover,” Atlassib representatives also say.
The company this year announced it would enter a new segment, namely air transportation. “This important project was started in the summer of 2005, and in August 2006 we managed to get an airline licence and acquired an aeroplane,” Carabulea says.