The Balearic Ports Authority (APB) has raised a new tender to manage the water bus service in Palma, following the decision by the joint venture led by TUI to relinquish the contract, citing concerns regarding the project's viability. The new terms introduce economic, environmental and operational adjustments, through which the ports authority aims to provide a fresh opportunity for the project.
The APB's board of directors approved the new tender specifications on September 30, and these were officially published on Thursday. The concession will span 15 years, granting a single operator exclusive rights to provide the service within the port of Palma.
A key change concerns the calculation of the fee. The previous tender established a minimum annual business volume of €3.5 million, subject to a 4% levy. Consequently, the concessionaire was required to pay €140,000 annually, regardless of whether the actual revenue reached that threshold.
The new terms eliminate this fixed minimum while maintaining the 4% levy on actual revenue. Nevertheless, each bidder is now required to commit to a minimum business volume based on their own economic and financial analysis. Financial requirements have also been tightened: the minimum solvency required of applicants has increased from 300,000 euros to one million euros.
The tender also modifies the service. Instead of the three lines originally planned, the new specifications establish four: a circular line for the Poniente pier, La Lonja and the local transit terminal; a dedicated connection for cruise passengers from the Dique del Oeste; a route between local transit and Portitxol; and an additional service between Poniente and La Lonja that operates during cruise ship calls.
The circular line must operate between 8am and 11pm, with service extended until midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and the eves of public holidays. The connection to Portitxol must run at least once an hour during the high season and every two hours for the rest of the year. For the service catering to cruise ships, a minimum capacity of 300 passengers per hour is required for the three-hour period following a ship's arrival.
Environmental requirements have also been updated. The concession term remains 15 years, dropping the provision from the initial tender that would have reduced it to five years if average nitrogen oxide emissions exceeded two grams per kilowatt-hour. Emissions remain a factor in the evaluation process, though the calculation method has been adjusted to account for propulsion power and authorised passenger capacity, with the goal of assessing the environmental impact per passenger.
This tender follows the failure of the process initiated in April 2025. The APB had initially selected a proposal from a joint venture led by TUI España. However, the company withdrew this in August, citing difficulties in making the operation viable, specifically regarding the availability of boats and operational deployment.
The APB therefore had to initiate a new procedure with different terms, while the service operates under a temporary authorisation granted to Armadores de Paguera, which operates under the brand names Cruceros Cormorán and Palma Cruises.