The president of the Port Authority, Martín Fernández Prado, attended today the reception held at the cruise terminal on the occasion of the first stop of the “Aida Nova”, the most impressive ship of the Aida Cruises company, as well as the largest of all those that have visited the Port of A Coruña and one of the largest in the world market of transatlantic liners.
With a capacity for 6,500 passengers and a gross tonnage of 183,000, the ship has 19 decks, fourteen of them above sea level. Despite its enormous size and capacity, the “Aida Nova” arrived at the Transatlantic Pier from Belgium with 2,900 passengers and nearly 2,000 crew members, in order to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. Following a meticulous onboard safety protocol, passengers underwent antigen testing before disembarking. A large platform attached to the gangway was used for this operation due to the ship's great height. As explained by the captain of the “Aida Nova,” Jens Janauschek, the height from the bridge to the sea is approximately 70 meters, which gives an idea of its immense size.
With this new milestone for the Port of A Coruña, which once again demonstrates its capacity for large-scale cruise operations, the 2021 calendar comes to a close, looking ahead to a record-breaking 2022. Fernández Prado indicated this, noting that “since September we have recovered cruise traffic at a very good pace, so what better way to end the year than with the largest cruise ship ever to visit our port.” In the last four months of 2021, when it was possible to resume cruise traffic, 32 port calls were recorded, which is “a source of joy for the city and the port,” as the president of the Port Authority pointed out, adding that the 2022 calendar will begin with the arrival of the “Queen Elizabeth” on January 4th. It will be the first of a record that aims to break all records, with about 170 stops, which is 40% more than the highest peak previously reached, in 2017, with 120 stops.
With these projections, the economic impact the sector could generate in the city next year amounts to around 25 million euros, which is “fantastic news at all levels,” Fernández Prado stated, although he cautioned that “we must remain very attentive to what happens with COVID-19.” He added that the sector is adapting perfectly to the times we live in, demonstrating a strong commitment to both safety, especially in relation to the pandemic, and environmental considerations. He cited as an example the ship docked today, an environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas vessel that generates significantly less environmental impact than older ships.
