Motril Port Resumes Melilla Route, Launches New Freight Line to Tangier

4 March 2021 – byPrince@Bladi · 2 min read

Motril port is resuming two connections this month and launching a new freight line with Morocco, after a year of suspension due to the health crisis. This is the connection with Melilla, which resumes this Friday with the shipping company FRS and the operation, at the end of this month, of a new passenger line with Melilla, which will be operated by the company Balearia.

The Motril - Melilla connection will resume this Friday, March 5, after a year of suspension. It will be operated by the Tarifa Jet ship of the shipping company FRS, on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. This is a fast ferry, with a capacity of 777 passengers and 175 vehicles, which will connect the two ports in four and a half hours.

Motril port is also launching this month a freight line with Tangier which will be operated by the shipping company Morocco Cruise Line with a ship with a capacity of more than 120 freight units (trailers and full trucks) and 53 drivers (passengers) traveling with their trailers or semi-trailers.

The Hypatia de Alejandría ship of the shipping company Balearia, a ferry 186.5 meters long and with a capacity of 880 people and 166 vehicles, will provide the connection with Melilla starting April 1, 2021 for a period of one year. Motril port signed the connection contract with the Melilla Ministry of Transport in January.

For the port director, José García Fuentes, "these connections that are resuming represent 30% of the port’s business volume, which has had a difficult economic year." He is also pleased with the 60% increase in freight traffic recorded at the beginning of the year, making the port of Motril "the second port in Spain that has handled the most goods." José García Fuentes also hopes for the reopening of the Moroccan borders to resume the connections with Tangier, operated by FRS, and with Nador and Al Hoceima, operated by the shipping company Armas.