Baleària takes effective control of Armas Trasmediterránea in the Canary Islands and consolidates its leadership in Spain

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• The resulting group will have approximately 4,500 employees, a fleet of more than 50 vessels, and will transport more than 8 million passengers a year.
  
• The company will renew part of the fleet with new ships, allocate 45 million euros to the improvement of existing vessels and retain all land and fleet staff.
• Under the Baleària Canarias brand, a sustainable, reliable maritime transport model will be promoted, rooted in the local area and focused on customer service.

Baleària, Spain’s leading maritime passenger and freight transport company, has taken effective control of Armas Trasmediterránea’s assets in the Canary Islands, including both inter-island routes and connections between the mainland and the archipelago.

The resulting group will have around 4,500 employees and a fleet of over 50 vessels. The combined annual traffic volume will exceed 8 million passengers and 11 million linear metres of cargo, generating a consolidated turnover of over €1 billion.

This acquisition marks the integration of three historic Spanish shipping companies: Trasmediterránea (founded in 1916), Armas (in 1941) and Baleària (in 1998). This merger not only consolidates Baleària’s position as Spain’s leading operator of scheduled maritime transport, but also establishes it as one of Europe’s leading ferry operators, in terms of both scale and quality.

Baleària will invest 45 million euros over the next three years in the Canary Islands to enhance the quality, digitalisation and comfort of the fleet it has acquired. Furthermore, the company guarantees that the entire existing workforce will be retained, reaffirming its commitment to the region and its responsible business model, which balances economic growth with job security. The shipping company is committed to working closely with the institutions, port authorities and all social and economic stakeholders on the islands.

The president of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, highlighted the strategic importance of the operation: "The new Baleària is ready to ensure the efficiency of the entire national maritime transport network across all its regions. We are talking about a key infrastructure for territorial cohesion with the Canary and Balearic archipelagos, and with the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, as well as a vital link for political and commercial relations with Morocco and Algeria. We are a nationally owned company capable of guaranteeing sovereignty in a strategic sector for Spain."

As part of this integration, the company has launched the Baleària Canarias brand, through which it will operate in the archipelago. During the transitional period, this new brand will coexist with that of Armas Trasmediterránea. 

It should be noted that the agreement for this acquisition was announced last August. The overall operation is divided into three geographical areas; following the completion of the Canary Islands phase, the procedures relating to the Strait and Alboran areas are yet to be finalised.

Audio statements by Adolfo Utor HERE