The Piraeus coast guard is investigating evidence which indicates that shipping company NEL had been selling tickets to passengers for a trip to Santorini on a non-existent ferry route.

Sources said NEL had sold 229 tickets for a Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Thera ferry route on the high-speed ferry Aeolos Kenteris for Friday even though the ship was not expected to have returned from Italy where it had been sent for repair work.

The coast guard began looking into the issue after NEL said on Tuesday that it was canceling the planned Santorini trip and that passengers could make the trip on one of its other vessels for free.

According to the law, a ferry operator is forbidden to sell tickets for a route that has not been approved and has not received all the necessary safety checks.