Madeira-mainland Portugal ferry service study

An economic-financial study regarding a regular maritime ferry connection between Madeira and mainland Portugal has concluded that none of the analyzed scenarios can achieve financial equilibrium through operating revenues alone. The findings, released by the JPP party, indicate that projected revenues are insufficient to cover investment and operational costs, suggesting that any implementation must rely on public funding and defined public service obligations to ensure territorial cohesion.

Following the release of the study, deputy Filipe Sousa of the Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP) party requested priority parliamentary hearings to scrutinize the findings. The JPP has raised concerns regarding the study’s underlying assumptions, specifically questioning the capacity limits modeled for passengers and vehicles, the use of 2018 charter rates for cost calculations, and the absence of scenarios involving direct vessel acquisition. Additionally, the party noted a lack of input from major shipping and logistics companies, with Sousa stating, “It is not acceptable to conclude first that the ferry is not profitable and then only ask if the assumptions used to reach that conclusion were correct.”