The SATA Group celebrated its 82nd anniversary this weekend, a date marked by the airlines SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines with complimentary actions on board the routes operated last weekend, as well as launching a unique online campaign that promises significant discounts for those looking to travel in the coming months.

“Uniting the nine islands of the archipelago with each other and with the rest of the world was the dream behind the project. More than eight decades later, the longevity of SATA airlines is proof of the mission that continues to be fulfilled. With more than two hundred domestic and international flights a week to and from the archipelago, plus more than five hundred inter-island flights a week, the airlines SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines have materialized the dream that gave rise to their foundation,” reads a press release issued by the Azorean airline.

The entity that manages the Azorean aerodromes comprises the companies SATA Air Açores, which operates between the archipelago’s nine islands, and Azores Airlines, which connects the region to other countries. In this case, more than 17 national and international destinations such as Boston, New York, Toronto, Montreal, Paris, Barcelona, Bilbao, Praia, Funchal, Lisbon, and Porto are some of the most visited destinations by the Azorean airline.

With regard to the upcoming winter season, Azores Airlines recently announced a reinforcement of connections to the city of Porto, with the offer of three new routes between Porto and North America (Boston, Toronto, and New York-JFK), as well as an increase in weekly frequencies between the Azores and Porto.

The SATA group of companies was founded in 1941 by the “Sociedade de Estudos Aéreos Açorianos.”

SATA has contracted a plane and crew from a Spanish private airline contractor (UltraPlus) to serve California during the traditional summer series. Since mid-June, the company has successfully operated a weekly flight from Oakland to Terceira that will continue until September. Connecting California to the Azores would be much more complicated without this service. Although one can use alternative routes, all of them entail multiple airports. This year’s flights have succeeded, with on-time departures and no issues reported. The customers interviewed by private YouTube operators in the Lajes field as they arrive in the Azores have made positive comments.

The West Coast operation is coordinated by Zeto Carvalho, whose dedication to SATA and to connecting the Azores to California is without precedent and indeed the main reason for this California success.

From a report by Paulo Faustino from the newspaper Açoriano Oriental, directed by Paula Simões and information collected by Bruma-PBBI.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Medial Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.