The principal industry is fishing. Cross-border commerce (legal or smuggled) and Spanish and European grants and wages are the other income sources.
Melilla is regularly connected to the Iberian peninsula by air and sea traffic and is also economically connected to Morocco: most of its fruits and vegetables are imported across the border. Moroccans in the city's hinterland are attracted to it: 36,000 Moroccans cross the border daily to work, shop, or trade goods. The port of Melilla offers several daily connections to Almeria and Málaga and their own airport offers flights to these cities as well as Madrid. Spanish operator Air Europe uses nearby Nador International Airport for their connections to mainland Spain.
Many people travelling between Europe and Morocco use the ferry links to Melilla, both for passengers and for freight. Because of this the port and related companies form an important economic driver for the city
