- Algeria has become a strategic market in the shipping company’s international expansion.
- The company celebrated its tenth anniversary in the country with an official ceremony attended by representatives of its stakeholders.
Baleària has celebrated its tenth anniversary in Algeria, where it has consolidated its presence through the gradual launch of six routes to Spain and a growth in passenger numbers that has enabled it to carry almost 900,000 passengers over the past decade. To mark these ten years of operation, Baleària held an official ceremony featuring a gala dinner in Algiers, attended by Baleària’s chairman, Adolfo Utor, and the shipping company’s managing director, Georges Bassoul, as well as representatives from Algeria’s Ministry of the Interior and Transport, national institutions and authorities, and the company’s customers and collaborators. During the event, the shipping company recognised the key institutional collaboration in the development of maritime connections by presenting plaques to various authorities.
Baleària began operations in Algeria in 2016 with the Valencia–Mostaganem crossing. Since then, the company has progressively expanded its network of connections to operate six routes. In 2024, it launched the Valencia–Algiers and Valencia–Oran routes, as well as operating occasional services from Alicante, and in 2025 it stepped up its presence with new connections from Barcelona to Algiers and Oran.
Baleària’s managing director, Georges Bassoul, noted that, over the past decade, Algeria has established itself as a strategic market for the company: “We have developed our passenger and freight transport model based on reliability, quality of service, operational flexibility and adaptation to the needs of our customers.” He also added that the goal is to “continue expanding connectivity in the coming years.”
Passenger traffic figures show a trend of sustained growth, with the exception of the period affected by the pandemic. In 2025, Baleària reached an all-time high in the country with 165,000 passengers, driven by the launch of new routes and the expansion of its commercial offer. In addition to the nearly 900,000 passengers carried in this first decade, the company has transported 360,000 vehicles and, in the cargo sector, around 100,000 linear metres.
Baleària’s president, Adolfo Utor, highlighted the company’s commitment to Algeria: “Algeria is a key market in our international expansion and we want to continue growing there in a sustained and long-term manner. We are committed to developing connectivity and strengthening economic and social exchanges between the two countries.”
Baleària currently runs these routes using the ferries Rosalind Franklin and Regina Baltica, two vessels with capabilities tailored to the Algerian market. The shipping company offers specific services for passengers, such as customer service in Arabic, halal catering and prayer areas, thereby enhancing its focus on customers and the quality of the travel experience.
About Baleària
Baleària is Spain’s leading ferry operator, with more than 25 years of experience in maritime transport of passengers, vehicles, and cargo, operating daily routes that connect the mainland with the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. It is also the only shipping company that connects the four islands of the Balearic archipelago. Internationally, it operates in Morocco, Algeria, the United States, and the Bahamas. In 2024, the company transported 5.6 million passengers and 7.6 million linear meters of cargo across all its routes.
The company, which operates a fleet of more than 40 vessels, is a global benchmark in sustainability thanks to its pioneering commitment to eco-efficient mobility powered by more environmentally friendly energy sources, with the aim of advancing decarbonization. Baleària has 11 vessels equipped with dual-fuel engines, a versatile technology that allows navigation using different fuels, such as natural gas today or renewable, CO₂-neutral energy sources in the future. In addition, it operates two ferries powered by electric energy and has two fast ferries under construction that will operate on the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco on the Tarifa–Tangier Ville route. The company has also taken part in pioneering projects involving the use of biofuels, such as biomethane and bio-LNG, and promotes initiatives focused on the development and application of future energy sources, such as green hydrogen. For all these reasons, it became the first Spanish ferry operator to receive the Green Marine Europe certification.
Digitalization and customer-focused technology are strategic elements for Baleària. Its main pillar is the Fleet Control Tower, which monitors crucial data in real time. The company also operates a fleet of smart ships that enhance the passenger experience from booking through the onboard journey, and it has digitized its cargo logistics operations to improve agility and efficiency. Baleària is a local ferry operator with an international outlook, employing 2,600 people across shore-based and fleet operations.
The company’s impact also extends through the Baleària Foundation, which for more than 20 years has organized and promoted social, cultural, and environmental initiatives.
