Spain-Morocco ferry links change hands

Flensburg-based ferry company, FRS, is selling its 23-year-old subsidiary, FRS Iberia, to Denmark’s DFDS. The Danish ferry operator will take over routes between Spain and Morocco including services between Tarifa and Tangier, Algeciras, Gibraltar, the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, and Tanger Med.

The ferry services are currently operated with five high-speed catamarans, two car ferries, and one RoRo. Passenger and car numbers have increased steadily over recent years, with FRS Iberia expecting 1.9 million customers and 370,000 vehicles this year. 

Götz Becker, FRS CEO, was instrumental in building up the company’s Iberian business and spent four years based in Tarifa, Europe’s southernmost city and the headquarters of FRS Iberia. The southern Europe ferry line is now the city’s largest employer.

“We are closely linked to our employees, our friends and our ships in Morocco and Spain,” he said. “And we are pleased to have found a partner in DFDS who will continue to run the company in a proven manner. The 750 employees of FRS Iberia will remain with DFDS.” 

The transaction is subject to approval of the Spanish and Moroccan competition authorities.