News APB | Ports de Balears

“Dia de Nassos”, NGO ‘Sonrisa Médica’ day at Palma harbour

24/09/2015

NGO hospital clowns’ association, Sonrisa Médica (Medical Grin), celebrates his “Dia de Nassos” (Red nose day) next Saturday, September 26th, at Palma harbour with Balearic Islands’ Port Authority (APB) collaboration. Sonrisa Médica’s president, Josep Lluís Vidal and APB president Joan Gual de Torrella, introduces this festive day to thank partners, collaborators and volunteers’ involvement with a serie of leisure and recreation activities such as traditional dance, handicrafts, clown’s NGO performances, cooking classes, batucada…among many othes. Joan Gual de Torrella, APB president, thanked Sonrisa Médica for its work in Mallorca hospitals and made his collaboration available. All activities will be carried out between Moll Vell and Moll de la Llotja of Palma port. Entrance-donation gate is 5 € for adults and 1€ for kids. Timetable will be from 11 to 20h. A trip to Disneylad Paris for 4 persons will be drawn among all the assistants. NGO Hospital Clowns’ association, Sonrisa Médica, Works at Mallorca public hospitals, bringing a smile and music to children and elderly hospitalized patients.

7 cruise ships in Palma’s port

23/09/2015

It is not the first time seven cruise ships coincide in Palma’s port, although it is the first time this match exceeds the number of cruise passengers’. Aida Aura, Aida Blu, Costa Diadema, Island Escape, Mein Schiff 2, MSC Divina and Ryndam, were in Palma port last Tuesday, October 22th 2015, adding up all together 23.200 passengers. First four cruise ships of the list uses Palma port as a port base this season. Economic impact of these visits is very important. Cruise tourists’ expenses are considerably higher than average expenses of the average tourist. Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) is investing in better infrastructures to be able to attend this maritime traffic, promoting big improvements in port services, thus applying important economic incentives. The aim is to strengthen Balearic Islands as tourist destination. The arrival of cruise tourism is particularly evident in the city centre, although more and more cruise tourists visit other municipalities of the islands with the added provided economic benefit. And also from a port perspective, operations to attend to all these tourists is huge. Mooring services, ship owners, shipping agents, harbourmaster tasks, waste collection, tourist guides, passenger security services, among many others, or even tug boats, depending on cruise ships size and weather conditions, are activated in Balearic Islands’ ports.

Meeting with Francina Armengol, president of Govern de les Illes Balears

21/09/2015

Joan Gual de Torrella, president of Port Authority of Balearic Islands (APB) has been granted an audience by President of Balearic Islands’ Government, Francina Armengol, in order to discuss current issues of general interest ports. This has been the first official meeting since taking up the office as president of Balearic Islands’ ports. Balearic Islands’ Government, together with Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera Councils and Palma de Mallorca City Council are members of the Management Board of Port Authority of Balearic Islands.

2014 APB accounts published in the Official State Gazette

18/09/2015

Spanish Official State Gazette has published Balearic Port Authority (APB) accounts 2014. APB Ended the 2014 tax year with a 16.8 million € profit, 31% lower than fiscal year 2013 when profit was in excess of 24 million €. This decrease is due to the fact that the Port Authority lowered fees in an effort to stimulate economic activity. The reduced fees, designed to benefit the public, were principally applied to ships, cargo and passenger travel. On the other hand, 2014 turnover was around 61 million €, while the entity remains financially stable and debt-free in the long term. The set of Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Directors at their last meeting on June 30th, and the public sector business received a favourable report from the Intervención General de la Administración del Estado. The full detailed accounts, along with the audit report, can be viewed on the APB’s electronic office, which can be accessed by visiting electronic office. APB manages public ports in Palma, Alcúdia, Maó, Eivissa and la Savina de Formentera. One of its main responsibilities is the management of maritime and terrestrial operations as they relate to traffic, and construction works and services in the ports.

More than 3.300 users have accessed the APB’s Electronic Office since June

15/09/2015

More than 3.300 users have accessed the Electronic Office of the Port Authority of Balearic Islands (APB) since the 12th of June 2015. More than 31.100 pages have been visited, 131 payments have been made and 8 complaints and suggestions have been sent. All the transactions of the Electronic Office are certified and are done through a safe channel and through an acknowledged public office. The most common transactions are those related to the contractor’s profile, the payment of fines, complaints and suggestions and diverse proceedings. Information and processing services are currently being offered to the users through the APB’s website, either through the home website or through other websites. A total of 45 transactions can be accessed, including the application for registration in the Register of Contractors, application for charter authorisation, for the provisioning of ships or the occupation of premises and offices, for the buying of fishery products in the Fish Market or for the provision of commercial services.

Palma will receive in 2016 the Harmony of the Seas of Royal Caribbean

11/09/2015

In 2016 Palma port will receive theboat Harmony of the Seas of the company Royal Caribbean, a cruise similar to the Allure of the Seas which has conquered everybody with its magnificence: 361 metres of length. The Harmony of the Seas has been built in 2015 and has a capacity for 5.400 passengers. Its arrival at Palma harbour consolidates the bet of the shipping line for the Balearic Islands. This is one of the novelties that the president of the PAB, Joan Gual de Torrella, has presented at the Seatrade Europe 2015, the largest cruise exhibition of the north of Europe, which is being held in Hamburg until the 11th of September. The Balearic Islands participate in the institutional stand Ports of Spain of State Harbours, which develops a campaign under the slogan “Blue Carpet: discover Spain on a blue carpet”. In fact, in 2016, Palma will also consolidate as the home harbour for other important companies such as Tui Cruises (with boats like the Mein Schiff 2) and Aida Cruises (with the AIDAblu or the AIDaura). Joan Gual de Torrella is attending this international fair with the intention of knowing the requests of the shipping lines for the following years and offering the necessary services in the harbours of general interest. “We want to consolidate the strengths that place us amongst the lead harbours in the reception of cruises, but we also travel to Hamburg to analyse the opportunities that will allow us to offer a better service to the shipping lines, to the cruise passengers and to the cities where they dock. Two million of passengers The Balearic Islands will almost reach the numbers of two million of cruise passengers and 795 cruise layovers in 2015, according to the estimate of the Port Authority of Balearic Islands (PAB). These numbers represent a rise of the 26% and 17% respectively in comparison with the data from the end of the fiscal year 2014. Palma is the port with the highest number of cruise calls: 475 in 2014, which will be probably 573 at the end of 2015. That represents a rise of the 20,6%. Consequently, the number of cruise passengers rises a 29,5%: from 1.336.512 in 2014 to 1.731.582 at the end of 2015. Ibiza is the following port in the reception of tourist cruises. 2015 will be closed with 123 cruise boats, in comparison with the 109 of 2014, which represents a rise of the 12,8%. The number of passengers have also risen a 15,28%, from 172.185 to 198.488. The number of cruise calls and passengers will decrease slightly at Mao port according to the predictions, with 85 cruise calls and 79.089 passengers in 2014 in comparison with 84 cruise calls and 64.100 passengers in 2015. In percentage terms the decrease is of the 2,3% and 19% respectively. La Savina port in Formentera would go from 6 to 10 cruise calls (a 66,6% more) and from 875 to 1.714 passengers (95,8%) more. In this case we are talking about small cruise boats that can anchor in authorised places and to which the Port Authority of Balearic Islands gives service. Finally, Alcudia would rise from 2 to 5 cruise calls and from 1.058 to 1.380 passengers in 2015 balance. Port’s investment Ports’ investment has already been planned. In Palma, West dock (Moll de Ponent) will be expanded, and the Maritime Station n.6, used mainly as a home port by the cruises arriving at Palma, will be built. On the other hand, Ibiza will have in 2016 two new docking lines that will allow for the arrival of cruises of large dimensions. A line for cruises of up to 375 metres and a second line for boat trips of up to 328 metres. Also in Mao port different investments that will allow the mooring of cruises of up to 280 metres long will be made. “We have to offer the best service to cruise boats. They have to be welcomed appropriately at the harbours because they are the doorway to our islands”, in the words of the president of the PAB.

Ports of Balearic Islands are being promoted in Hamburg as cruises’ destination

09/09/2015

Ports of Balearic Islands will be promoted at the main northEurope cruises’ fair, Seatrade Europe 2015, that will be held from September 9 to 11. Balearic Islands will be an integral part of institutional “Ports of Spain” belonging to “Puertos del Estado” developer of the launched campaign “Blue Carpet: a point of entrance into Spain”. Joan Gual de Torrella, President of Ports of Balearic Islands (PAB), will attend the exhibition in Germany together with other Spanish ports are in the right route to break eight million cruise passengers’ record in 2015 and Balearic Islands is also chiefly to do with this great success. Islands’ ports come in second after Barcelona regarding traffic cruises’ passengers. 935.000 passengers (17,91% more compared to year 2014) have Main operation port is Palma, followed by Ibiza port. Cities become the getaway for tourism searching to enjoy landscape, gastronomy, shopping and visits around the island. Cruises’ tourism generated a large volume of business (1.255 million euro) and more that 26.000 jobs in Spain last 2013. Taxes and port charges invoicing amounted 19 million euros

APB rewards with EUR 2.000 the bestscreenplay of La Mola Plató ´15

08/09/2015

"Port Authority of Balearic Island (PAB) participates in short film contest “La Mola Plató ‘15”, awarding the best screenplay with EUR 2.000. La Fortaleza de la Mola celebrates its 10th anniversary open to the public with this contest. Topic and style is free but at least 50% of the story has to be unfold in La Mola. it is a must together with the script, that must have a link with Menorca through landscape, history, art and or its gastronomy. MÈDIT will be able to chose a short film to be included in the Festival de Cinema Mediterrani Menorca 2016 programming. The jury will select three short films to exhibit at Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona –CCCB-, in a special section called “El dia més curt” dedicated to La Mola Plató next December 21st 2015. "

Visita del presidente de la APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, a Alcúdia

07/09/2015

El presidente de la Autoridad Portuaria de Baleares (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella, siguiendo con su ronda de visitas institucionales una vez ha tomado posesión de su cargo, ha visitado Alcúdia y se ha reunido con su alcalde, Antoni Mir Llabrés, y con miembros del equipo de gobierno municipal, para tratar los temas de actualidad del puerto. El puerto de Alcúdia sirve de alternativa a Palma en cuanto al tráfico de mercancías y es la conexión más rápida entre Mallorca y Menorca por vía marítima, así como también entre las Islas Baleares con el puerto de Barcelona. En sus instalaciones se descarga el carbón, para producir energía eléctrica, así como gas butano y propano. Asimismo aspira a convertirse en referente para el tráfico de cruceros, con la ampliación del muelle de Poniente y la nueva Estación Marítima para pasajeros. Las toneladas de mercancías que pasan por el puerto de Alcúdia están aumentando. De enero a junio de este año suman 754 mil toneladas, un 5% más que en el mismo periodo del año anterior. Y en un año completo, de junio de 2014 a junio de 2015, el aumento ha sido del 3% superando 1,4 millones de toneladas. También ha aumentado el número de pasajeros en línea regular que suman 113.064, un 7% más que en el mismo periodo del año anterior.

Ibiza-la Savina, the Spanish route with more traffic

07/09/2015

Regular route between Ibiza and la Savina port (Formentera island), has registered -between January and June 2015- 586.283 passengers, 7% more compared to the same period of 2014, becoming the one with more traffic in Spain due to the large quantity of national and international visitors to both Ibiza and Formentera islands in Summer. This route generates up to one million passengers per year, 214.984 passengers only in June. Last published statistic shows that 586.283 passengers used ferries between both islands from January to June 2015, 7% more compared to the same period of 2014. In the first six months of the year (up to 800.000 passengers), 73% of the passengers are the ones using the route Formentera- Ibiza. 27% of the passengers come from Denia, Palma, Valencia and Barcelona ports. APB investment APB will invest 4,5 million euro in a new port terminal that will be located at Ibiza commercial port, where maritime traffic between Ibiza and Formentera will be moved thus improving service to passengers.

The APB opens its new e-office to the general public

04/09/2015

The APB has opened its new e-office to the general public. This initiative will provide citizens with access to the Port Authority’s services from any electronic device and will enable users to find information, submit applications, lodge appeals, make payments and view notifications quickly and easily. This new e-office will improve citizen and business accessibility to public services, promoting the use of existing channels as well as creating new ones. In addition, it will also enable the APB’s employees to increase their productivity. This electronic channel offers greater flexibility in terms of opening times, as it is available 24-7, 365 days a year greater proximity as it only requires an internet connection greater efficiency, as the information submitted comes in electronic format and can be responded to in the same way, and greater integration of administrative processes. The APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, presented this new e-office service on 20th May at the Majorca Chamber of Commerce. One of the speakers at the presentation, which was mainly aimed at the port community in Palma and Alcudia, was Carlos Sánchez, Head of the APB’s Contracts and Management Control Department, who set out the main guidelines and the current status of the main e-government projects underway. The event at the Chamber of Commerce was also attended by Miguel Ángel Fernández, Director of the firm AIX Consulting, who demonstrated the functions, catalogue of procedures and the electronic processes available, which include renewing moorings, satisfaction surveys, the payment of fines, and making complaints and suggestions.

New recreational craft dock at the Port of Alcudia

04/09/2015

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is to tender the management of moorings at the former naval facilities dock at the Port of Alcudia. The idea of this initiative is to improve port-city integration and encourage interaction between the port and the town of Alcudia, as well as to maintain and promote port activities. The tender conditions specify an operational surface area of 42,021 square metres, which can be extended. This is divided into a water surface of 30,139 square metres, and a public port land area of 11,882 square metres. The tender will include providing mooring services for recreational craft, supplying water and electricity, providing Wi-fi connections, and operating a petrol station. Dry marina The tender will be awarded under an administrative concession and, in addition to any other services that may be proposed by the bidders, will also include a boat storage service in the area’s dry marina. The facilities in the concession include two buildings of 199.32m2 and 408.42m2, respectively, which can be used as premises or offices for commercial services. The concession is for a period of 22 years, and the minimum initial tender bid for the annual fixed occupancy and activity charges is €452,598.