Algiers – The National Maritime Transport Company for Passengers has recently terminated its lease contract with the owner of the Italian vessel “Moby Dada” due to recurring technical issues that disrupted the summer travel schedule. This announcement was made on Saturday in Algiers by the company’s Chairman, Mohamed Tayeb Aboud.
During a press conference, Mr. Aboud explained that the decision was taken after numerous engine malfunctions and issues with the ship’s air conditioning system were reported. To ensure passenger safety, the company decided to cancel the contract and transfer the affected passengers to the vessels “Tassili 2” and “Algeria 2.”
The company had initially leased “Moby Dada” at the end of January in preparation for the 2024 summer season, aiming to bolster its fleet and accommodate the high number of passengers, particularly Algerian expatriates in Europe. However, with “Moby Dada” now out of service, the company had to rely on “Tassili 2” and “Algeria 2.” Due to their limited capacity, some passengers’ bookings were altered, prioritizing families for cabin accommodations. Passengers downgraded to “seat” class were compensated for the ticket price difference and offered a 30% discount on their next booking.
Mr. Aboud urged the affected passengers to understand and cooperate with the ship crews to ensure timely departures. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to addressing customer concerns while implementing a competitive and well-considered pricing strategy, which he claimed is 40% lower than that of competing companies in the national market.
In reviewing the company’s current season performance, Mr. Aboud highlighted that from June onwards, 173 trips were completed between Algerian ports (Algiers, Annaba, Skikda, and Oran) and Italy, Spain, and France, transporting 146,000 passengers and 43,000 vehicles. He noted that the summer travel schedule was successfully executed at a 98% completion rate.
Looking ahead, the company is already preparing for the 2025 summer season to address the shortcomings of the current year’s program. Mr. Aboud assured that preparations began two weeks ago and promised customers a significantly improved experience next summer. The remainder of this year will be dedicated to the repair and maintenance of the fleet to ensure optimal conditions for the 2025 summer program.
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