Fred. Olsen Express celebrates 51 years reaffirming its commitment to the Archipelago by strengthening its cargo service and consolidating the route with El Hierro. Since its first voyage on 8 July 1974, which connected Tenerife with La Gomera, the shipping company has reinforced its commitment to the development of maritime transport in the Canary Islands through innovation, applying sustainability measures across all its processes and services, and offering a transport model that adapts to the needs of the Canary population.
The fleet director of Fred. Olsen Express, Juan Ignacio Liaño, states that “last year we revived, through an emotional event, the first journey we undertook in 1974. A meeting that served as a boost for us, over these 365 days, to continue working on initiatives to enhance mobility between the islands flexibly, sustainably, and always with the Canarians as the driving force for our activity”.
“This year, we have continued the investments we started in 2024 to boost the goods transport service. Last year we transported over 1.3 million linear metres of cargo, which translates to 950 thousand tonnes of goods. Furthermore, we have acquired an additional RORO vessel, which will allow us to serve La Palma, thus ensuring the island’s supply,” explains Liaño.
More than half a century connecting the Archipelago. The shipping company began 2025 by resuming the route that connects El Hierro with Tenerife. A line covered by the revamped Bentago Express with 20 weekly connections in summer, ten from each port, and 16 in winter.
“Reaffirming our commitment to the connectivity of the Canary Islands has also been possible thanks to the reactivation of the line connecting the Island of Meridians to Tenerife, of which we are making a very positive balance in these first six months, with over 75,000 passengers and 23,000 vehicles mobilised. Only in April, according to data published by the Port Authority, the number of passengers at the port of La Estaca increased by 80% compared to 2024,” adds Liaño.
As part of this commitment to the island, representatives of the company recently travelled to El Hierro to be part of the Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes. A significant date on which Fred. Olsen Express operated six journeys between Tenerife and El Hierro last Friday, 4 July, mobilising over 2,600 passengers between both islands.
Commitment to marine care through innovation. On its 51st anniversary, Fred. Olsen Express has also reached a new technological milestone in the project it develops in collaboration with Aeromarine and SEA.AI, completing in June the installation of an early detection system for objects at sea across its entire fleet of large fast ferries.
“After testing it on our vessel Bajamar Express, we were able to notice a significant improvement in visibility during navigation, which allows for automated perimeter surveillance and obstacle detection, aiming to prevent potential collisions,” highlights Liaño.
This project has been awarded the opPORTunity Prize for Technological Innovation, granted in 2024 by the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This recognition adds to the Award for Sustainable Tourism Practices 2022, granted by the Cabildo of Tenerife to the digital platform Fred. Olsen Vigía, dedicated to recording sightings from its vessels.
A shipping company recognised for its universal accessibility. This year, Fred. Olsen Express has added the Solidarity Prize Once Canarias 2025 to its recognitions in the category of Business, for its strong and continued commitment to inclusion, universal accessibility, and sustainability.
This award complements the Universal Accessibility certification from AENOR for its entire fleet of fast ferries and facilities, in accordance with the UNE 170001 standard, obtained in 2023.
Travel for all. Another service that sets the company apart and reinforces its commitment to providing a comfortable experience for all is the incorporation of spaces specially adapted for pets, a project that celebrated its two-year anniversary last June.
Since then, the shipping company has offered these pet-friendly accommodations, developed with the specialised advice of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, to facilitate travel for those accompanied by their pets.
In total, in 2024 alone, 66,000 pets enjoyed the variety of options for travelling aboard Fred. Olsen Express vessels.
About Fred. Olsen Express. Fred. Olsen Express is the leading shipping company in the Canary Islands and has been ensuring connectivity between the islands for over 50 years. Since its first crossing in 1974 with Ferry Gomera, between San Sebastián de La Gomera and Los Cristianos, in Tenerife, the company has maintained its commitment to the development of maritime transport in the Archipelago.
It is characterised by providing a service with state-of-the-art ships based on comfort, punctuality, speed, and flexibility. True to its vocation of generating wealth among the Canary community, it has a dedicated workforce of nearly 1,000 people.
Currently, Fred. Olsen Express operates a fleet of eight high-speed vessels, two mini-ferries, and two cargo ships dedicated to the transport of goods, connecting the Archipelago across seven islands. It operates seven inter-island maritime routes and a coastal route in southern La Gomera.
In addition, it connects the Canary Islands to the mainland via the connection of Gran Canaria and Tenerife with Huelva. Fred. Olsen Express is a leader in the inter-island market. It makes an average of 22,500 trips a year and transports more than 3.7 million people, 66,000 pets, 1,000,000 cars, and 1,300,000 linear metres of cargo annually, equivalent to around 100,000 freight vehicles.
Since its inception, over 89 million passengers have placed their trust in the company. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Canary Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, through its programme ‘In Harmony with the Sea’, Fred. Olsen Express applies innovation across all its processes to minimise its environmental footprint.
