After World War II, the few ships surviving the conflict were used to connect Italian islands, mainly Sardinia, to the mainland. The company became public and its name was changed to Tirrenia di Navigazione S.p.A. In 1965, the company launched the production of fully-fledged ferries, the Poet Class. In the 1970s, ships were gradually replaced by ferries and the company developed its freight activities. In 1975, Tirrenia bought the Malta Express ferry. Since the end of the 1980s, the company has been upgrading its older units with faster ones capable of reaching 35–40 knots.