The story
The Trasmediterránea ("cross-mediterranean") company was constituted on 26 November 1916, with the fusion of the companies of shipowners José Juan Dómine, Vicente Ferrer, Joaquín Tintoré and Enrique García, though it didn't start operating until 1 January the following year. It was headquartered in Barcelona and had a fleet of 45 ships.
During the Spanish Civil War, its ships were used as auxiliary navy ships by both sides of the conflict, the Spanish Republican Navy and the Nationalist faction.
In 1978, it became a state-owned company, until it was privatized by the PP government in 2002. The SEPI sold the company to a consortium that consisted of Acciona Logística (60%), Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo, Compañía de Remolcadores Ibaizábal, Agrupación Hotelera Dóliga, Suministros Ibiza and Naviera Armas. Later, the company changed its name to Acciona-Trasmediterranea. Currently it operates a fleet of 25 ships and is headquartered in Madrid.
From 1921 to 1998, when the sector was liberalized, it had the monopoly on the lines that linked the mainland Spain with the islands and northern Africa. Today, even as it has lost its monopoly and has competition, Trasmediterránea is still leader in its sector.
At the end of October 2017, Acciona group agreed to sell its 92.7% stake in Trasmediterránea to Naviera Armas, another Spanish shipping company operating ferries mainly in the Canary Islands. The deal, pending approval by Spanish authorities, was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.
In August 2025, Baleària reached an agreement to take over both Naviera Armas and Trasmediterranea operations in the Canary Islands and Alboran Sea, alongside a part of the operations across the Strait of Gibraltar. As part of the agreement, Balearia would take over 15 ferries, several routes, and staff. DFDS Seaways would acquire the majority of the Strait business, taking control of the Volcan de Tamasite and the Villa de Agaete, as well as operations in Algeciras, Ceuta, and Tanger Med. The agreement would take place, pending approval from the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) of Spain. In March 2026, the CNMC approved the Baleària deal.
From Wikipedia’s article on Trasmediterránea, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4