Cruise Companies visiting the Balearic Islands on a promotional trip

Cruise Companies visiting the Balearic Islands on a promotional trip

12/08/2008

The PAB has organized a familiarization trip (Fam Trip), in collaboration with the Spanish Tourist Office in Miami, to the ports of Palma, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina, with the aim of raising awareness among major international cruise companies of new attractions in the Balearic Islands as a tourist destination. Apart from getting to know the port facilities and projects that the PAB has underway to enhance the cruise traffic in each of its ports, the delegation will be taken on tours through the various islands and will hear first-person accounts of new tourist attractions in the Balearic Islands. Representatives of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland Americas Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Windstars Cruises, Majestic Americas Line, Celebrity Cruises and Pullmantur will visit the islands of Ibiza and Formentera on the 12th, 13th and 14th of September, Majorca on the 15th and will complete its journey on September 16th in Minorca

6'5 million in infrastructure at the port of Palma

6'5 million in infrastructure at the port of Palma

06/08/2008

The PAB has recently completed several projects in the Port of Palma with an overall investment of more than six and a half million euros and that consisted mainly of improvements to port infrastructures for cruise traffic and transport of cargo and passengers.Among the highlights was the new image of the cruise ship boarding lounge of Dique del Oeste. With a budget of close to 340,000 euros, it promotes the islands as a tourist destination with large photographs and also facilitates access for passengers to luggage check-in and public transport services.At Passenger Terminal No. 1 a new mobile walkway was installed, budgeted at about 600,000 euros, to facilitate direct embarkation to ships. At the same time, three new berths were built worth 1,200,000 euros at the far end of the docks of Poniente del Norte y Sur, allowing the extension of their mooring lines.With a budget of nearly three million euros, they have expanded the loading and unloading zones at the Commercial Docks from 20.5 meters to 40 meters. And in improvements to services of regular passenger lines, 173,000 euros have been invested in the repair of the pre-embarkation parking area located between terminals 2 and 3.Finally, with an allocation of about one and a half million euros, the PAB has improved the Services Building, modernizing and facilitating public access to the port police station and other offices, and rehabilitating the old building popularly known as "la Lavendaria de la Tras", to locate there workshops of the PAB.

Concession of moorings of the old Ibiza Nueva granted to Semar

Concession of moorings of the old Ibiza Nueva granted to Semar

31/07/2008

The PAB has granted the operation of berths on the north bank of the old Ibiza Nueva, in the Port of Ibiza, to the company Serveis SL Maritims Port d'Eivissa (Semar), for a period of 17 years. This finalizes the Authorization of Temporary Occupation (AOT) of the space that Semar had been using since April 2008. This permit authorized the management of the moorings of this zone of the Port of Ibiza pending the processing of the application for the concession and after the finalization the AOT of the previous company operating in Ibiza Nueva.Semar will contribute an annual fee of 5.6 million euros over the duration of the 17 years of the concession and an initial investment of 27.5 million for the improvement existing facilities.

13 percent increase in cruise ship passengers

13 percent increase in cruise ship passengers

28/07/2008

During the first half of 2008, the major ports managed by the PAB experienced an increase of 13 percent in cruise ship passengers, compared to the same period last year. From 30 January to the 1 June of this year, 506,404 cruisers passed through these Balearic ports, compared to 446,352 recorded the previous year. The Port of Ibiza recorded an increase of 19 percent, with a total of 33,780 passengers, followed by Palma, with an increase of 13 percent and 432,705 passengers, and Mahon, with 39,182 passengers, which was 9 percent more than in the first six months of 2007. On the contrary, the PAB ports registered a drop of 6 percent in passenger traffic of regular lines. In terms of freight traffic, there was an 8 percent decrease in the first half of 2008, with a total of 6,828,897 tonnes.

New provisional passenger waiting area in the Port of Ibiza

New provisional passenger waiting area in the Port of Ibiza

24/07/2008

The PAB has put into service the new provisional waiting area for boarding passengers in the terminal at the Port of Ibiza. The aim is to improve conditions for the passengers until the new Botafoc terminal is ready.The PAB has conditioned the first floor of the former passenger terminal of the Port of Ibiza with an air-conditioning system, toilets and seating, so that passengers have a secure, cool and comfortable place to wait for arriving vessels.. The external stairs have also been regulated to conform to the laws of general use and fire safety, with the installation of emergency doors and fire extinguishers. Meanwhile, work has started on the installation of awnings on the outside of the terminal and the rearrangement of parking spaces. The entry into service of this provisional waiting area does not replace existing ones on the ground floor. The total budget of the project amounts to 110,000 euros.The PAB has put into service the new provisional waiting area for boarding passengers in the terminal at the Port of Ibiza. The aim is to improve conditions for the passengers until the new Botafoc terminal is ready.The PAB has conditioned the first floor of the former passenger terminal of the Port of Ibiza with an air-conditioning system, toilets and seating, so that passengers have a secure, cool and comfortable place to wait for arriving vessels.. The external stairs have also been regulated to conform to the laws of general use and fire safety, with the installation of emergency doors and fire extinguishers. Meanwhile, work has started on the installation of awnings on the outside of the terminal and the rearrangement of parking spaces. The entry into service of this provisional waiting area does not replace existing ones on the ground floor. The total budget of the project amounts to 110,000 euros.

10.000 cruise passengers in the Port of Palma in one day

10.000 cruise passengers in the Port of Palma in one day

22/07/2008

The Port of Palma recorded, on July 17, a record of 10,000 cruise passengers in one day, accommodating three megacruiseships and another medium in size at its docks. The four ships were Costa Magica, with 101,350 tonnes and 272 metres MSC Orchestra, with 92,409 tonnes and 293 metres Arcadia, with 83,000 tonnes and 285 metres and Thomsom Destiny, with 37,773 tonnes and 214 metres. The Port of Palma is expected, in 2008, to beat the historic record of 500 stopovers in the same year.

Criminal complaint dismissed against former president of the PAB

Criminal complaint dismissed against former president of the PAB

10/07/2008

Magistrate No. 7 in Palma, has agreed to the dismissal of the interim criminal complaint filed by the company Boat Yard Palma, against the former chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (PAB), Joan Verger, for giving the concession of the dry dock of the commercial docks in the Port of Palma to Port Technical Services (PTS ). Likewise, expert evidence requested by the complainant was denied. The judge has also imposed court costs to Boat Yard due to the fact that “temerity has been observed in the imposition of this lawsuit." In November 2006, Boat Yard filed a criminal complaint against the former president of the PAB, for alleged crimes of fraud, prohibited activities and prevarication of the resolution of the bid for procurement of haul out services for boats at the commercial docks of the Port of Palma in favour of STP. The proceedings, dated 2 July 2008, are filed in the provisional archives.In the brief, the judge revealed that charges by the complainant for the alleged offence of fraud by a public body were not supported with evidence. Among other arguments, the judge considered the declaration of the Technical Commission in charge of resolving the results of the bidding, which points out that the technical report was written unanimously by its three divisions. It also suggests that in the vote of the Board of Directors of the PAB, there were no votes against and that there were several abstentions from management heads, which were justified in that they did not want to decide in favour of any of their clients. Finally, the judge’s indictment contends that it does not appear that anyone was pressured by the former president of the PAB to make a conclusive report for awarding the concession to STP.

The PAB reconstructs the walls around lighthouses of Minorca

The PAB reconstructs the walls around lighthouses of Minorca

07/07/2008

Over the past few The PAB has conducted the rebuilding of the enclosures surrounding the buildings attached to the lighthouses of Minorca. These are, for the most part, stone walls, built in the traditional way, which tend to crumble and collapse over time. The reconstruction work has respected the structural integrity of the existing, traditional enclosures typical to Minorca. They consist of two trapezoidal faces made of rough, native stone, crowned by what is called “esquena d’ase”. The reconstruction, with a budget of 130,000 euros, has been carried out at the lighthouses of Favàritx, Cap d'Artrutx, Cap de Cavalleria, Sa Punta Nati, Port Ciutadella and Sant Carles.

Environmental Department issues report from DIA for Botafoc docks

Environmental Department issues report from DIA for Botafoc docks

07/07/2008

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (PAB) has officially received, from the Secretary of State for Climate Change, the Declaration of Environmental Impact (DIA) for the proposed esplanade and commercial piers at Botafoc, in the Port of Ibiza. DIA establishes strict environmental measures to be followed before, during and after construction. The PAB considers feasible all the conditions imposed in the report. After having a favourable response from the Ministry of Environment and the Department of Land and Sea, the PAB has been in contact with the provincial government and the Town Council of Ibiza.

5,000 m² more for boat repairs in Cós Nou

5,000 m² more for boat repairs in Cós Nou

23/06/2008

The port of Mahon has acquired and added 5.000m² to the existing area of Cos Nou, used for the reparation of recreational vessels, including a new travel lift basin. The PAB plans to summon bids for the general management of the whole boat yard area, which will also provide a fuel dock.

Land acquired in the port of Maó for more than 8 million euros

Land acquired in the port of Maó for more than 8 million euros

20/06/2008

Between 1999 and 2008, the PAB has purchased land in the port of Maó, valued at 7.5 million euros, to make room for the renovation and expansion of Cos Nou, where the future passenger terminal will be located and whose construction will cost approximately 13 million euros. The PAB had recently acquired several lots, with a total area of 207,000m², for 3.5 million euros and this was added to other land previously purchased for 4 million euros. In addition to this, the PAB intends to buy more land, in order to have sufficient area for the amplification and the access road to the port.

The PAB will build its new offices in the old “Tras” building

The PAB will build its new offices in the old “Tras” building

14/06/2008

The PAB will build its new offices at the port of Palma in the old office buildings of the company Trasmediterránea, popularly known as the "Tras" building. The construction could start in the second half of 2009, with an execution period of fifteen months and an estimated budget of 18 million euros. This will involve the relocation of its current headquarters to expand and adapt to its future needs. The future building will be built on an area of 2,500 square meters and will consist of two floors and a basement for parking and storage. It will conserve the existing stone façade, located at the main entrance of Moll Vell, for its historical significance. The rest of the property will be newly constructed with steel, glass and aluminium.The interior distribution will consist of a spacious courtyard with work zones distributed around the perimeter. The ground floor will have a porch garden, which will be used mainly as a reception area. The first and second floors are intended for offices, waiting rooms, training rooms and general work areas. The project includes measures to protect the environment, with thermal and acoustic insulation and energy conservation, as well as, access to telecommunications services, audiovisuals and the media. It also contemplates strategies to improve accessibility and ways of dealing with architectural barriers. With the move to the old "Tras" building, which was built early in the nineteen thirties, the current headquarters of the PAB will be converted into a building dedicated to corporate and institutional activities, such as, exhibitions, archives and meetings of the Governing Council, as well as, acts related to the port, such as, conferences, symposiums, seminars and forums.