In 2023, the Baleària shipping company has exceeded five million passengers for the first time. The improvement represents an increase of 14% which, together with the growth in cargo transportation (6%), allows the company to close a “record” year for the second time, as explained by its president Adolfo Utor, in the presentation of results held this afternoon in Dénia. The company closes the year with 652 million euros in turnover, a growth of 15%, an Ebitda of 117 million euros and 40 million euros in profit, which is reduced by 40%.
In this sense, Utor has explained the importance of financial costs in this year: “Our debt is important because the costs are very expensive, which have risen as a result of the rise in the Euribor, and that has also directly affected our results”, he explained, while ensuring that he was “satisfied in absolute terms with the result. We continue to be market leaders.”
Likewise, he explained that “Ebitda continues to demonstrate the solvency and strength of our business model, but the decline is due to two reasons: we are in an expansion cycle – we have reinforced the Canary Islands line, the North African lines , etc. -, and our financial costs are high”, he detailed.
In the results of the company, which closes the accounting year on October 30, international passenger transport has increased the most, up to 36%. Mainly Morocco is the destination where the greatest growth, both in passengers and vehicles, has been experienced. Likewise, in the analysis of its transported passengers, the Balearic Islands represent half of its national clients, which are 79% of the total. The islands continue to be its main market.
In freight transport, the company has registered a slight decline of 2% in national cargo and a “high growth in international routes, mainly in connections with Tangier. This has been a very important growth,” explained Utor.
On the other hand, the company has invested 113 million euros, 85% more, a part of which is allocated to the improvement and acquisition of new vessels, as well as the digitalization of key processes, the latter project in which Baleària He works mainly in a control tower, “a very ambitious project that is being perfected and whose objective is to give us a comprehensive vision of all aspects of the company, to continue making good decisions.”
With a workforce that in high season stands at 2,500 employees, 10% more, the job stability of its employees is 94% permanent.
(There will be an extension)
