AENIB endorses APB's initiative to reorganize the Port of Palma

The Association of Nautical Companies in the Balearic Islands (AENIB) has expressed strong support for the Balearic Port Authority's (APB) bold proposal to reorganize the Port of Palma. In a letter addressed to APB's Corporate Governance Department, AENIB commended the plan, which they view as long overdue, and voiced their backing for the initiative.

This endorsement follows a series of meetings between APB and representatives from the port community, alongside other social, institutional, and economic stakeholders, aimed at building consensus around the reorganization plan.

Following the APB Board of Directors' recent decision to withdraw the 2020 reorganization proposal, the Port of Palma is now committed to charting a new course. The goal is to enhance maritime connectivity and operational efficiency within the Balearic Islands' logistics network. The plan also includes redistributing industrial zones for boat repairs and redeveloping Palma’s waterfront, creating opportunities for projects that better integrate the port with the city.

AENIB emphasized in their letter that this project has been a long-standing demand of the nautical sector. "Businesses in the Islands are losing contracts because they are unable to meet client demand. Boats are forced to turn to better-equipped shipyards on the mainland or abroad to complete their projects," the letter explained. Signed by AENIB President Jaume Vaquer, the letter compared this initiative to the construction of the Son Castelló Industrial Park 50 years ago, which relocated workshops and factories to an organized industrial space outside the city.

AENIB also pointed out that the new spaces created by the reorganization would not be expansions but rather a result of relocations. They advocate for the use of these areas for public services, such as establishing a municipal sailing school to provide training in nautical activities.

Finally, Vaquer expressed hope that this reorganization will be treated as a national priority, free from political agendas or unnecessary delays, stressing that there is no more time to lose in moving this initiative forward.