The company of Ibizan origin Trasmapi, belonging to the Alonso Marí Group of Companies, has practically everything ready to start operating from March in the Strait of Gibraltar. Strait of Gibraltarafter two years of negotiations and a first frustrated attempt.
It will be the first line outside the Balearic Islands of the Ibizan company, as well as the first operation resulting from the agreement recently reached with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the first shipping group in the world. The proposal of Ceuta Lines, a subsidiary created by Insotel Marine Group, aims to meet the demand of Ceuta residents with a service adapted to their needs, in addition to offering a new maritime transport option in the Strait of Gibraltar, with alternative schedules and a modern fleet. The site Ceuta Actualidad has taken this for granted by reporting that “Insotel Marine Group has submitted all the required documentation to the Directorate General of Merchant Marine to participate in the rotations connecting Ceuta with the Peninsula”. The start of operations of Ceuta Lines would be scheduled for March 2025 with the ship “Chenega”, built by Derecktor Shipyards of Bridgeport, in the United States. With capacity for 400 passengers, 65 vehicles and two wide lanes for roll-on/roll-off cargo, “Chenega” is 71.75 meters long, 18.6 meters wide and has a draft of 2.65 meters.
The steps
The history of Trasmapi in the Strait has been marked by challenges and obstacles. In October 2023, the company sold the fast ferry Incat 045, a vessel it had acquired especially to cover the Algeciras-Ceuta line, after failing to receive authorization from the Port Authority of Algeciras(APBA). The sale, described by Trasmapi as an “opportunity” to avoid the cost of keeping the vessel inactive in Vigo, meant a restructuring of its plans in the region. The decision to sell the ship was not Trasmapi‘s only move; they also filed a millionaire patrimonial claim against the APBA, demanding compensation for the losses derived from the refusal to operate in the Strait, as well as guarantees that the company will be able to compete under fair conditions when it obtains the permits.
After that first frustrated attempt, Trasmapi resumed its intentions with a formal request to operate the line between Algeciras and Ceuta through Ceuta Lines, its subsidiary created for that purpose. On this occasion, the company seeks to operate with one of its two twin fast ferries, Chenega or Fairweather, purchased at auction in Alaska and modernized by the shipping company headed by Marcos Marí. With a capacity of 400 passengers and space for 65 vehicles, these vessels cover the line Alcudia Ciutadella and sometimes also provide service between Ibiza and Formentera to cover the obligatory dry dockage of the Castavi Jet.
Partnership and projected expansion
This expansion of the Ibizan group IMG group is the first result of the agreement recently sealed with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s leading shipping group.
As announced, this alliance aims at the joint analysis and development of various passenger routes and fleet expansion, mainly fast ships to “enrich the offer of fast-ferry services in Spain, through its boutique proposal of maximum local focus in the communities where it operates“. In this long-term development, one of the milestones set out in the MSC + IMG agreement is precisely the implementation of new lines planned in the Strait, such as the Ceuta-Algeciras routes, under the Ceuta Lines brand, and Tarifa-Tangier, with the necessary resources for its more efficient operation, in case Tarifa Lines is finally awarded the tender, currently under evaluation and decision by the APBA.
