Morocco becomes Baleària’s leading foreign market

This growth is highlighted by an analysis published Monday, 14 September, by Kpler. Based on vessel movements, the maritime intelligence specialist studied Baleària’s operations between Tanger Ville and Tarifa.

The 68% increase concerns Baleària’s international traffic as a whole, not Morocco alone. However, the company identifies the kingdom as its leading foreign market and cites the opening of the Tanger Ville–Tarifa route among the drivers of its growth.

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Morocco already occupied an important place in its activity: in 2024, it accounted for 18% of its customers. Baleària then operated several Moroccan routes from Spanish ports before expanding its network in the strait.

The Tanger–Tarifa route changes hands

The change took place in spring 2025. DFDS, which had acquired FRS Iberia/Maroc, abandoned the Tanger Ville–Tarifa route after FRS’s twenty-five years of presence. Baleària took over on 8 May with the fast ferry Avemar Dos and four daily departures in each direction.

The company then added the Jaume I, bringing its service to six departures per day from each of the two shores. This second vessel enables it to further increase frequencies during periods of high demand, particularly among MRE.

Kpler’s records show that Baleària’s port calls increased rapidly after its arrival and then remained steady. The company therefore did not merely test a new route: it established regular operations on one of the main passenger links between Morocco and Spain.

This momentum continued in 2026. Between January and July, the number of passengers on the Tarifa–Tanger Ville route increased by 8%, and the number of vehicles by 18%.

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Baleària also holds a fifteen-year concession on this route. Two fully electric fast ferries are due to replace the current vessels from 2027, with charging facilities planned in Tanger and Tarifa.