Baleària broadens network following strategic route acquisition in Spanish waters

August 26, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

Spain-based ferry operator Baleària has finalized an agreement with compatriot shipping company Armas Trasmediterránea to acquire its business in the Canary Islands and the Alboran Sea, as well as part of the business in the Strait of Gibraltar, which has been purchased by Denmark’s DFDS.

As part of this agreement, Baleària is set to take over the management of 15 ferries and the integration of around 1,500 shore and fleet employees. The deal is presently pending approval from the Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC).

The President of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, highlighted that shaking hands with Armas Trasmediterránea should pave the way for Baleària to reach the ‘necessary’ size and capacity to compete in a “complex” national market marked by the presence of “large transactional groups with significant financial strength.”

“If this deal goes ahead, it will help a local Spanish shipping company to continue competing efficiently with the large groups that have recently arrived and are already operating in our waters,” Utor shared.

“Spain’s national structure cannot be understood without stable, high-quality, modern, and regular maritime connections. This was particularly clear during the COVID pandemic, and we are committed to continuing to offer this service in its entirety,” he further added.

Based in Dénia, a city on the eastern coast of Spain, Baleària is said to operate a fleet of approximately 40 vessels at the moment, ranging from conventional and fast ferries to cruiseferries. At least eleven of these units boast dual-fuel engine technology, enabling them to run on clean fuels or carbon-neutral renewable energy sources.

The company’s fleet includes ships such as the 123-meter-long liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered fast ferries Eleanor Roosevelt, which was handed over back in 2021, and Margarita Salas, added to the roster in July last year.

What is more, in January 2025, the Spanish shipping player unveiled the design of two 100% electric, zero-emission fast ferries, planned to operate on the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco on the Tarifa-Tangier Ville route.

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