Gibraltar bunker demand surged in March with increased cruise traffic

The port of Gibraltar recorded around 468 vessels calling for bunkers in March, up 31% from the 357 calls registered in February, the port authority’s data said.

This was also a significant increase from the 320 bunker calls seen in March 2025, a year ago.

A total of 1,184 vessels called in Gibraltar during the first quarter of 2026, marking a 12% increase from the 1,058 bunker calls recorded in the first quarter of last year. However, this is a 15% drop from the 1,392 vessels which called in the last quarter of 2025.

The Mediterranean port's bunker demand usually picks up with increased demand from cruise traffic in summer months.

Gibraltar saw cruise traffic surge in March, after a slowdown in the first two months of the year. Around 20 cruise ships made calls in Gibraltar in March, up from just six cruise vessels in February, and 11 cruise ships in March last year.

A total of 33 cruise vessels visited have visited Gibraltar in the first quarter of 2026, compared to just 19 cruise calls in the same period last year.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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