This 2024, Fred. Olsen celebrates 50 years facilitating connections between islands by sea. Half a century of work in which the values of service, comfort, flexibility, speed and sustainability have always been present.
On July 8, 1974, it began its journey on the island of La Gomera with the first Benchijigua ship, named as a nod to the valley and nucleus of the south of the Island. Also known as the Gomera Ferry, this ship marked the beginning of maritime communication. between the islands joining the Colombian island with the Port of Los Cristianos, in Tenerife.
Registered in San Sebastián de La Gomera, the ship had accommodation for a total of 399 passengers and 60 passenger cars, who had the possibility of choosing between three daily trips lasting 80 minutes each way.
Fred’s fleet manager. Olsen Express, Juan Ignacio Liaño remembers that “six months after its launch, and with the added bonus of being able to have a bus service between Los Cristianos and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and vice versa, the line had already transported more of 100,000 passengers. Which was, without a doubt, a stimulus to continue advancing in communication with the rest of the islands.”
The expansion of the company
Years later, and after the consolidation of the route between La Gomera and Tenerife, in 1981, Fred. Olsen expanded its services with the incorporation of the line between Playa Blanca (Lanzarote) and Corralejo (Fuerteventura) with the Betancuria ferry. This new service was born as a result of the incorporation of the second Benchijigua to the line between La Gomera and Tenerife. It was then that the shipping company decided to assign the first Benchijigua to the eastern islands route, which was renamed Betancuria.
This new line operated for six months in perfect condition but, in February 1982, Fred. Olsen was forced to suspend it due to technical problems that made it difficult for the ship to maneuver. However, this did not mean its definitive cancellation, since in September 1988 the shipping company acquired the ship Sunflower, which began operating regularly in July 1989, after renaming it Betancuria.
“Although the idea of uniting the two capital islands was present from the beginning, it was not until 1994 when, after different proposals and efforts, the shipping company managed to unite Agaete and Santa Cruz de Tenerife with a service consisting of two ferries: the recently acquired Bañaderos and the second Benchijigua, renamed Bajamar. Since its inauguration, this line, promoted at that time as a maritime bridge, became one of the most in demand. The volume of population that exists in the capital islands, and the fact that they are united through their closest points, today represents a balance of almost 25 million passengers transported,” explains Liaño.
Faithful to his vocation of service and generating wealth among the Canary Islands community, currently Fred. Olsen Express operates five inter-island maritime lines and a route on the south coast of La Gomera; and makes nearly 22,000 trips a year in which it transports a total of more than 3.5 million people, 63,000 pets, more than one million passenger cars and around 1,300,000 linear meters of cargo, that is, about 100,000 vehicles. of freight transportation.
“Without a doubt, the annual figures highlight that traveling by boat is part of the idiosyncrasy of our people. It is a type of trip that, beyond comfort and flexibility, or advantages such as traveling with your own vehicle and no luggage limit, is part of our island culture,” says Fred’s fleet director. Olsen Express.
The company’s expansion has been constant and in 2018 it reached a new milestone when, together with the company Baleària, it added the route to the peninsula to its inter-island connections, which connects Gran Canaria and Tenerife with Huelva.
The goal of traveling more sustainably
Since its inception, Fred. Olsen Express has worked to improve the quality of its services, always in favor of making them more sustainable and accessible for everyone. Since 1999 and after acquiring the first fast ferries, the company strongly embraced the challenge of reducing its emissions and promoting a more efficient and sustainable way of traveling, researching and incorporating more durable materials and fuel with lower emissions into its ships. And with this objective, through innovation and research, it has invested in boats with efficient designs of ultra-light structures that reduce water resistance during navigation, in addition to incorporating a big data system to optimize operations or propulsion engines. of the latest generation that produce fewer emissions. A continuous updating process that is evident, for example, with the acquisition of the first trimaran in 2005 and with the incorporation of the Bajamar Express in 2020 and the Bañaderos Express in 2021. Three trimaran fast ferries unique in the world.
The commitment to sustainability is a priority for the shipping company, and in 2014, it became a paper-free company, leaving boarding passes behind. In 2017, it managed to be certified by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, registering its carbon footprint, and beginning to measure its impact to continue developing initiatives that help reduce it.
Likewise, since March 2023, the company’s trimarans have been connected to the ship electricity supply service (OPS) at the Ribera dock in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, during the night, thanks to the conditioning work of the Port Authority of Santa Cross of Tenerife. All ships from Fred. Since its construction, Olsen Express has had the necessary technical adaptations to benefit from this type of supply, which translates into a reduction in the use of fossil fuel and the elimination of noise pollution and direct emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere.
According to Juan Ignacio Liaño “we are firmly convinced that the future of maritime navigation involves an increasingly sustainable transport model that is respectful of the marine ecosystem. And in 2023, we seal this commitment with the launch of ‘In Harmony with the Sea’, a project that encompasses the more than 70 measures that we currently develop in terms of environmental sustainability and that are aligned with the Development Goals. Sustainable Development of the UN and with the Canarian Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030”.
Universal accessibility
As part of its philosophy, the company has continued working to improve its services and accessibility. In 2023, it managed to extend the universal accessibility certification to its entire fleet and facilities, which, since February 2022, its Bajamar Express and Bañaderos Express trimarans had. This makes it the first maritime company in Spain to obtain this distinction that guarantees that all people can enjoy its infrastructure and services autonomously.
And accessibility also for pets, who have three different types of accommodation, depending on their characteristics, to travel comfortably with their families. Pet Sofa, for pets of any weight and size, allows them to enjoy themselves on a mat next to the seats of their human companions; Pet Carrier, for pets up to 10 kilos that use their own carrier and Pet Rooms, booths located in the exterior areas of the ships, with easy access, available in different sizes and that have personalized cameras so that passengers can see your pets throughout the journey and from any point on the ship.
