Baleària Canarias Shortens Distances with Fred. Olsen Express and Approaches 50% of Traffic on the 'Maritime Bridge'

On six occasions between August 1 and 16, Baleària Canarias has captured 50% of the traffic on the 'maritime bridge' between both Canary capitals, while Fred. Olsen Express has not exceeded 57% during the first half of this month, considering that the Hispano-Norwegian company operates a greater number of daily rotations between Gran Canaria and Tenerife and vice versa (eight versus six).

During the same period, according to data from puentedemando.com, Baleària Canarias transported 4,700 passengers and 1,816 cars in a single day, while Fred. Olsen Express peaked at just over 6,000 passengers and 2,085 vehicles. These figures correspond specifically to the maritime traffic of August 2.

The summary of the first fifteen days of August on the route between Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and vice versa, which are key vacation movement dates, places Fred. Olsen Express's market share on the Agaete route at 55%, with the remaining 45% held by Baleària Canarias, which connects directly between capitals. These percentages are very different from those that prevailed before the arrival of the shipping company led by Adolfo Utor, who acknowledges that it is receiving a good reception from the people of the Canary Islands.

Another important route is the one connecting Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Morro Jable, in the south of Fuerteventura. This is an important route, originally opened by the jet-foil of Compañía Trasmediterránea under the commercial brand "las tres en línea" and later continued by Naviera Armas, until Fred. Olsen Express arrived and turned the situation around, favored in recent years by the decline of the Grupo Armas Trasmediterránea in the hands of bondholders. This route moves around 700,000 passengers annually, in round numbers.

Currently, Fred. Olsen Express maintains a 57% share and Baleària Canarias reaches 43%. Fred. Olsen Express's option to connect Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the south of Fuerteventura via Agaete is somewhat at a disadvantage compared to Baleària's direct connection from the Tenerife capital without the need to change ships. Nevertheless, the volumes are significant, and on August 16, Fred. Olsen Express transported nearly 3,000 passengers and 1,258 cars, while Baleària Canarias transported almost 2,800 passengers and 1,018 cars.

On the La Gomera route, growth is quite considerable for Baleària Canarias, considering that it is the original line of Ferry Gomera, for just over 51 years. Although Fred. Olsen Express maintains a clear leadership position, reaching peaks of 74% in passengers on two occasions and below 70% on seven occasions, it has also dropped to 60% on two days and even on August 16 it was at 57%. This date, on the other hand, is significant for Baleària Canarias, with just over 2,000 passengers and 700 cars, compared to almost 2,700 passengers and just over 900 cars from its competitor.

However, Fred. Olsen Express had days of great relevance —August 13 and 14— when it moved more than 3,400 and 3,600 passengers, as well as nearly 900 and more than 1,000 cars, respectively. The Hispano-Norwegian company has the advantage of having packages for tourist groups, which Baleària Canarias does not have at the moment. Nonetheless, it is significant the support it is receiving from the people of La Gomera.

In La Palma, Fred. Olsen Express clearly dominates, which is justified by the systematic mistreatment that La Palma customers received in the past from the managers of the bondholders of Grupo Armas Trasmediterránea and the indisputable responsiveness of the Hispano-Norwegian company.

However, with the arrival of Baleària Canarias, the situation is beginning to reverse, albeit slowly, as its share fluctuates between 31% and 39%, although it has had days, such as August 12, when it dropped to 24%. There has not yet been a day when it has carried 1,000 or more passengers, and its temporary peak is at 800 and just over 300 vehicles.

In contrast, Fred. Olsen Express, in data from the first half of August, moves between 64% and 73% on the La Palma route in terms of passengers —and in very similar terms for cars— although there are more days when it has been equal to or below 66%, which means that the remaining percentage has been taken by Baleària Canarias. The day with the highest movement was August 16, with nearly 1,600 passengers and 630 cars, and it has only been below a thousand passengers on six occasions, although in equally significant amounts.

Photo: José Javier Pérez Martín for puentedemando.com