A passenger ferry from Algeria arrives this Tuesday morning in Marseille. The links had been stopped since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is a first since the start of the health crisis. A passenger ferry from Algeria arrives this Tuesday morning in Marseille, reports France Bleu. The Marseille-Algiers line, by Algeria Ferries, has reopened after being closed since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Algerian Ministry of Transport announced on October 12 the return of maritime passenger transport links with France. The National Maritime Passenger Transport Company (ENTMV) is resuming its activity, with one trip per week scheduled for the week, departing from Algiers. “The possible programming of additional trips to other destinations will be examined by the high authorities, depending on developments in the health situation in the country,” said the Ministry of Transport.
The shorter crossing
As specified by France Bleu, the first travelers on Tuesday arrive in a new luxury boat from the Algerian company ENTMV, which can accommodate 1,800 passengers. And the crossing is much shorter: 19 hours now, instead of 24 hours.
Algeria closed its maritime borders on March 19, 2020, when an Algerian ferry had provided the last maritime connection between Marseille and Algiers. The air borders, closed since March 17 due to the pandemic, only partially reopened on June 1 to seven countries.
