Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Rusadir

On January 31, the ferry 'Rusadir' faced technical difficulties that prompted its return to the port of Melilla. The Maritime Authority, operating under the Ministry of Transport, is currently probing whether the vessel departed the autonomous city amid severely adverse weather conditions. Notably, this incident does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Melilla Port Authority. The 'Rusadir' was stranded at sea for several hours, struggling to navigate back to the port, where it finally docked around 1:00 p.m. Following its arrival, the ferry company swiftly arranged for another vessel to transport its passengers.

In the early hours of January 31, 2026, the ferry 'Rusadir' encountered a significant electrical malfunction while navigating the Alboran Sea, prompting an engine failure that forced it to turn back to the port of Melilla. The vessel was carrying 4,860 passengers and was attempting to complete its route from Melilla to Malaga amidst a troubling storm. As strong winds and turbulent waters hampered its progress, the 'Rusadir' operated on a single engine. After a challenging 15-hour situation, the ferry successfully docked at Melilla's port around 4:00 PM, having departed at approximately 1:15 AM. Upon arrival, the passengers began to disembark, and a number of them opted not to resume their journey to Malaga on the alternate ferry provided by the operators. They proceeded to the Baleària ticket office located in the maritime station to express their grievances, with police monitoring the situation. Ultimately, 264 passengers, nearly half of those on board, reboarded the chartered vessel 'Volcán de Timanfaya', run by Armas Trasmediterránea, which was already in port and departed just an hour later. For more details, you can access the full report [here](https://www.eldia.es/sociedad/2026/01/31/atraca-melilla-ferry-malaga-motor-averiado-126304373.amp.html).

On the evening of May 20, 2025, a fire erupted in a cabin situated on deck 9 of the 'Rusadir,' a ferry linking Melilla and Málaga. The crew promptly initiated an evacuation of passengers from the affected area to deck 10 as efforts were undertaken to manage the fire. Swift actions by the crew ensured that the blaze was contained and extinguished within minutes. Following the incident, the affected area was isolated to mitigate any further risk of damage. Despite being just half an hour into the voyage and still near Melilla's port, the captain made the decision to proceed with the journey after assuring passengers that the situation was under control. The timely response of the ship's crew ensured the safety and security of all onboard during this emergency.

On March 10, 2025, travelers experienced delays on the Málaga-Melilla ferry service due to an electronic malfunction affecting the propeller of the 'Rusadir'. In response to the disruption, the shipping company promptly deployed the 'Dènia CC' as a substitute vessel to maintain service continuity. As of March 11, the 'Rusadir' remained docked in Málaga, awaiting repairs to resume its regular operations.

Balearia has successfully secured a charter for the ferry Honfleur, with plans for necessary modifications including the adaptation of side ramps and branding it with their corporate identity under the leadership of Adolfo Utor. Since February 2022, Honfleur has been docked at Nauta Gdynia in Gdynia, Poland, where Balearia's inspection team is currently stationed. The shipping company aims to have the vessel operational by March 2024. The charter agreement is a time charter set for an initial duration of six months. Originally commissioned by Brittany Ferries, Honfleur now operates under the Cyprus flag. It is anticipated that the ferry will service the Huelva-Canary Islands route next summer, thanks to its abundant cabin space and onboard amenities. However, alternative routes such as Malaga-Melilla-Almería are also under consideration. Moreover, Balearia may deploy Honfleur on other popular routes, including Barcelona-Palma, Barcelona-Ibiza-Valencia-Palma, or Valencia-Ibiza. Built at the Flensburger Schiffbau shipyard and launched in December 2018, Honfleur faced significant delays due to financial difficulties that ultimately led to the shipyard's bankruptcy. Rumors of her potential scrapping circulated before she was completed at the Fosen shipyard in Rissa, arriving there under tow in October 2020. For more details and photographs of the Honfleur, visit the full report at Puentedemando.