Transmediterránea reanuda sus conexiones entre Almería y Nador

The shipping company Transmediterránea, the leading Spanish shipping company, will resume the ferry service linking Almería with the Moroccan port of Nador, a service that has not been provided for two years due to the closure of borders because of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a press release issued by the Port Authority of Almeria (APA) the first ferry which will leave this Saturday on the ferry J.J Sister will leave the port of Almeria bound for Nador, from where it is expected to return to Almeria on Sunday. 

The difference with this first trip is that people and vehicles will travel on this ferry on a "passenger" basis, compared to the trips made during the last two years in which only goods and vehicles were transported. Similarly, it is estimated that more than 17,600 passengers travelled on this route in 2021, 25% of the total.

All these passengers were drivers of goods lorries because, until the reopening of the Moroccan borders, they had been the only ones allowed to move until the final reopening of the borders.  

Now, with the resumption of the passenger service, passenger transport with the Moroccan city has been completely re-established, a service which the Balearia company had already resumed in mid-April.

This route is of vital importance in linking Spain with Morocco. A year before the pandemic, in 2019, more than 950,000 people passed through the port of Almeria. It is also estimated that a total of 333,367 passengers travelled on the ferries linking Almeria and Melilla, which translates into 35 percent of the total. On the other hand, in the Algerian ports, between Almeria and Oran, more than 65,200 passengers travelled, which corresponds to 6.8 percent, while the connection with Ghazaouet exceeded 45,400 passengers, or 4.7 percent.

On the other hand, in 2021, when Morocco's borders were closed, it is estimated that a total of 70,509 passengers passed through Almeria Maritime Station. Of these data, 56% travelled between Almeria and Melilla, which would represent more than 39,500 passengers.