IMG, MSC club together for new ferry alliance

The Balearic group IMG, which includes the shipping companies Trasmapi, Formentera Lines, Formentera Cargo and Menorca Lines, has inked an alliance with MSC to analyse and develop passenger routes and expand its fleet.

A statement said this mainly concerns high-speed vessels, with the aim of enriching the offer of fast-ferry services in Spain with maximum local focus in the communities where they operate.

An agreement was reached between the two groups earlier this year at MSC’s headquarters in Geneva to launch a shipping partnership, with a view to improving the current fast-ferry proposal for the Spanish market.

The long-term deal includes developing new lines in the Strait of Gibraltar, such as the Ceuta-Algeciras route under the Ceuta Lines brand, and Tarifa-Tangier, for the most efficient operation – should Tarifa Lines ultimately be awarded the tender, currently being decided by the Algeciras Port Authority.

A statement said further details of the new phase of this MSC and IMG agreement will be released in the coming months, about the new routes that will be undertaken jointly within this partnership, as well as the reinforcements on the routes that both groups already operate in Spain.