95 “We provide the only direct GibraltarTangier Med service,” says Moriana Glindemann. “It’s a kind of public service dedicated to the Moroccan community working in Gibraltar, with Moroccans sailing home for the weekend on Fridays and then back to Gibraltar on Sundays. It’s not a business case as we feel it’s our duty to provide this service given the close ties we keep with Moroccan society. We are part of the country’s maritime cluster as half of our employees are Moroccan. Our Moroccan crews are very skilled and service-minded. About 85 to 90 per cent of our passengers have Moroccan roots so they feel at home from the moment they step aboard.” Gibraltar Strait ferry operations are heavily regulated by the Moroccan authorities. A bilateral agreement between Morocco and Europe states that 50 per cent of the fleet should be Moroccan controlled, albeit not necessarily flagged. “All available tonnage shall be equally divided between Moroccan and European interests,” says Moriana Glindemann. “To guarantee a balance between Moroccan and European-controlled tonnage, Morocco issues licences. This warrants that there is enough capacity during the Operación Paso del Estrecho (or Operation Crossing the Strait), which is probably the world’s biggest ‘migration transit’ within a span of just three months.” Algeciras-Tangier Med is the main route with four ferry companies – FRS Iberia Maroc / DFDS, AML, Baleària, and Armas Trasmediterránea – collectively operating a total of 12 ferries. Up to 40 departures are offered in either direction on peak summer days but when the ports get congested, authorities implement an interchangeable ticket system so passengers and their cars can board the next available sailing on a firstcome, first-served basis. “Although only applicable for five days per year or so, it’s something truly unique to make sure that despite the congestions in and around the ports, ferries can still operate smoothly,” says Moriana Glindemann. “Moroccan authorities are heavily involved and engaged as it concerns their people. In close cooperation with all involved authorities in Spain and Morocco, our main concern during those peak days is to guarantee a safe and comfortable passage.” Although all four cross-Gibraltar Strait ferry operators advertise fixed timetables, sailing times can vary as immigration formalities for southbound passengers are completed onboard. “Passengers get their entry stamp onboard with unloading starting only after all passengers have gone through the process,” explains Moriana Glindemann. “Upon disembarkation all passengers will be subject to inspection of their passports before disembarkation which slows down discharge operations.” This autumn, the European Union will implement its own entry/exit system, which is reminiscent of the USA’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Moriana Glindemann doesn’t expect major disruptions as most of the passengers already have visa formalities in place. With FRS Iberia Maroc now fully in the hands of DFDS, what’s next for the company? Are there any fleet renewal plans now that the company’s conventional ferries are getting older? And how about hybrid-electric operations given the fairly short distances its ferries cover? “The primary focus is to become fully integrated, getting all of DFDS’s IT systems up and running,” says Moriana Glindemann. “DFDS is committed to adopting new green technologies, including battery electric or hybrid solutions, but as it stands now, there are no concrete fleet renewal or retrofit plans as we also depend on the availability of onshore power supply (OPS) infrastructure. OPS facilities are currently not in place yet, although both the ports of Algeciras and Tarifa will invest in OPS for the hotel load of our ships while at berth.” FRS Iberia Maroc / DFDS is also preparing to host the 48th Annual Interferry Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 26-30 October, marking the first time the event has been held on the African continent. It will join Interferry, a trade association representing the global ferry industry, to welcome stakeholders across the supply chain for conference sessions focused on topics such as zero-emissions solutions, vessel projects, regulatory updates and safety. Participants will also board FRS Iberia Maroc / DFDS’s Tarifa Jet and sail from Tangier to Tarifa, touring the vessel as well as both port terminals. “Thanks to our close relation with authorities we have huge support from the Moroccan government,” says Moriana Glindemann, who is president of Interferry. “The Transportation Ministry is really supportive and quite involved with high officials from Morocco joining Interferry2024.” “ We changed the ferry market in the Strait of Gibraltar” FRS Iberia Maroc / DFDS operates three routes with four high-speed craft, which carry around 2 million passengers, 400,000 cars and 140,000 freight units per year. DID YOU KNOW? Algeciras Ceuta Tarifa Tangier Ville SPAIN MOROCCO Tangier Med
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