Operation Crossing the Strait 2024 closes a historic season
- The port of Tangier the busiest port in Morocco
- The port of Almeria the one which has grown the most
- Tarifa and Algeciras culminate with record figures
- Armas Transmediterranea, a success story
Operation Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar (OPE) 2024, also known as Operation Marhaba, has been a total triumph. 3,442,770 passengers, 6.9% more than in 2024, and 847,429 vehicles, 9.3% more, the highest figure recorded in 30 years of this operation, are proof of the success.
In a press release, the Interior Ministry said that more than 3.4 million people crossed the Strait ‘smoothly and safely’ during the OPE that took place from 13 June to Sunday 15 September, the largest movement of people between the two continents in three months.
The General Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Situations of the Ministry of the Interior, the coordinating body of the EPE, recorded 12,012 boats crossing the Strait, an increase of 8.4% compared to 2023.
The Ministry of the Interior explained that this is ‘the most complex and unique operation that has ever taken place between the two continents, and that this year also went smoothly and without incident’. The Interior Ministry explained that the aim of the operation is ‘to ensure that the movement of Maghreb citizens through the peninsula is fluid and safe’.
The Directorate General of Public Health of the Ministry of Health, delegations and governmental units of the countries where all the ports participating in the OPE are located are taking part in this activity.
The port of Tangier the busiest port in Morocco
The Moroccan port of Tangier Med was the port that recorded the highest number of movements of both people (726,186) and vehicles (194,967) during the months of Operation Crossing the Strait, reaching 2,728 ferry movements, which means an average of 22 ferries per day.
In second place is the port, also in the city of Tangier, Tangier-Ville, with a total volume of journeys of 1,172, transporting 262,016 people and 43,446 vehicles.
In Spain, only two municipalities recorded higher inflows. At the head was the port of Ceuta with 1,431 trips, 270,340 passengers and 62,430 vehicles; and the port of Melilla which recorded 272 ferry movements, with 162,710 people and 36,975 vehicles.
The port of Almeria the one which has grown the most
The port of Almeria completed Operation Crossing of the Straits 2024 in record figures, becoming the second port on the Spanish coast with the highest number of vehicle and passenger shipments.
674,651 passengers and 166,450 vehicles used the capital to travel to the African continent on holiday, which represents an increase of 120,890 people, an increase of 25% and the highest of all the OPE. Specifically, the busiest period in the port of the capital was the first weekend of August, when 40,000 people passed through the facilities.
This growth means a lot for the local economy, because the Straits of Gibraltar is the biggest source of income for the Port Authority of Almeria, more than 55% (about 8 million euros) of the total income for the year.
The port of Nador, in the Moroccan province of Rif, became the most sought-after destination for passengers from Almeria, encompassing 70.3% of the people who cross the Mediterranean Sea between June and September to spend their holidays in Morocco with their family and friends.
The remaining 29.6% of tourists chose other destinations. Of these, the highest rate, over 23.5%, was recorded in Melilla. At a considerable distance are the Algerian cities of Oran and Ghazaouet: with 4 and 2.2% of tourists, respectively.
With a view to next year, the Port Authority of Almeria has stressed that these figures will increase the investment for the Operation Crossing the Strait 2025, to continue growing and offer better services to passengers who choose Almeria as a point of departure (or arrival) next summer.
Tarifa and Algeciras culminate with record figures
The ports of Algeciras and Tarifa, which concentrate around 75% of the total activity of the OPE, have reached record levels in both transhipments and arrivals. The coordination of the Civil Protection Agency has played a key role in ensuring the success of this Operation.
The Algeciras-Tangier Med route handles most of the traffic on the return leg of the OPE, that is, 46.3% of the seven ports involved, which represents 14.9% of the route between Ceuta and Algeciras. According to Civil Protection data collected by Europa Press, this port in Cadiz accounts for 61.2% of the traffic of all the ports involved in the OPE.
In total, the two Cadiz ports handled approximately 2.4 million passengers during Operation Crossing the Strait, plus an additional 1.2 million passengers who used connections from Cadiz to reach the African continent during the departure phase which began on 13 June.
According to Gerardo Landaluce, president of the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA), ‘Algeciras and Tarifa combine to form a real transcontinental maritime bridge between Europe and Africa’. In addition to managing the OPE, the ports must ensure that this activity is compatible with other normal traffic movements, such as lorry traffic.
Armas Transmediterranea, a success story
According to the data provided on its website, the Spanish shipping line has achieved its best results since it has been involved in Operation Crossing the Strait. With more than 850,000 people and 265,000 vehicles transported, the company achieved 5% more activity during the months of June, July, August and September than it did last year.
Thanks to the plans presented by the company during the summer, competitive prices and advertising campaigns with promotions for all types of travellers, the shipping company managed to register 3,200 departures throughout the summer, 24% of the total. In addition to the number of trips, the company participated in trips from Algeciras, Malaga, Motril and Almeria to Ceuta, Melilla, Morocco, Algeria and vice versa.