Shipping and port business
The story begins with a family enterprise in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where a 27-year-old Antonio Armas Fernandez took charge in 1973. What started as a modest shipping operation grew into a maritime force known across the region, the country, and beyond. The company traces its roots to 1941 when Antonio Armas Curbeloin founded the business on Lanzarote, the island of his birth. He launched with wood-hulled boats, pure sailboats, and motor sailers built for salt trade and cargo movement between the archipelago’s islands. Over time, the fleet evolved to steel-hulled ships propelled by diesel engines and steam power, expanding its reach to the Canary Islands and beyond. The company gained prominence by linking the Canary Islands with the Spanish Sahara, a Spanish colony from 1884 to 1975. This early phase laid the groundwork for a broader maritime network.
Slippery ships
Antonio Armas Fernandez did not navigate alone. He grew up around the maritime and port sectors and joined the family business in the late 1970s, with involvement already noted in 1968 when he was 22. From that moment, he dedicated himself to guiding the company and waited until 1973 to assume the official leadership. Journalists and industry observers recalled that the firm faced tough times, managing a large fleet with high maintenance costs and limited performance, which pressed the bottom line. A clear plan emerged from a feasibility study: modernize the structure, reorganize the fleet, moor many vessels, sell some ships to other owners, and renegotiate debts with banks and creditors. This restructuring was essential to stabilize operations and position the company for the future.
The organization then embraced a milestone shift by adopting cabotage with roll-on cargo ships, enabling people and goods to move between local points using ground vehicles that roll onto ships via a ramp from the quay. This roll-on system streamlined coastal trade and opened new efficiencies. Armas Fernandez saw the potential after visits to northern Europe, including Sweden, Denmark, Norway, England, and Ireland. In August 1973, with the help of a foreign currency loan, the group acquired the first roll-on vessels Firlingen and Rolingen for 1.7 million Danish kroner each. The ships were renamed Yaiza Volcano and Tahíche Volcano to honor Lanzarote, the home island. Early doubts about the cargo ships’ viability faded as practical experience confirmed their value.
Can we fill a day?
Inside the new ships, a capacity of 82 linear meters allowed eight trucks to be carried, each about four meters tall. A contemporary reporter noted that this figure might seem modest today, yet it represented a formidable challenge at the time. On the launch day of Yaiza Volcano, the head of the family faced skepticism and confided in relatives about whether the fleet could ever reach full capacity. The ramp placement initially favored the port side, delaying immediate operations in January 1974. Adapting the vessels to their new roles required adjustments, including shifting the ramp to the stern.
Trans-Mediterranean
It soon became clear that cargo holds could not always accommodate the planned loads. This insight spurred a broader service expansion for Canarian companies, delivering reliable sea transport and orderly operations that supported intra-archipelago exchange and the development of less-populated islands. Antonio Armas Fernandez continued shaping the company through the 1990s as Gran Canaria observed a trend toward blending mixed freight and passenger services. During these years the firm adopted the Naviera Armas name. In 2002, Armas Fernandez acquired an 8 percent stake in Trasmediterranea after privatization, and by 2017 discussions with the Acciona group aimed at gaining a controlling stake in Trasmediterranea. The plan went through regulatory approval and, in 2018, Armas took control of the former public company. Today, Naviera Armas operates two brands with routes across Spain’s major shipping markets, earning strong public recognition and trust.
Antonio Armas Fernandez’s decades of effort and dedication to the family business were recognized with the Canary Islands Gold Medal in 2021, a year before his passing. [citation]