Air transportation is an eternal dilemma for the Azores.

“The government has already clarified and I’m not going to keep repeating the government’s message over and over again in front of commentators. The regional secretary said that, as far as the government was concerned, we did what we had to do,” said Bolieiro, when questioned by journalists about Ryanair’s operation to the archipelago.

The leader of the Azorean executive (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), who was speaking in Ponta Delgada on the sidelines of the meeting of the social consultation committee of the Economic and Social Council, was referring to the statements made by the Secretary for Tourism, Mobility, and Infrastructure on Thursday.

On that day, Berta Cabral revealed that there was an agreement for Ryanair not to completely abandon the region. She said she hoped the company would “honor the commitment” made to the executive, which involves reducing flights from next winter.

Bolieiro stressed that there was an “understanding” between the government of the Azores and the airline but refused to comment on the “froth of days.”

“The government did everything in its power to make its position and understanding clear. This has been said from the outset. There is nothing left unsaid on the part of the government because the secretary was clear and objective in her statements,” he stressed.

The President of the Regional Government said that it is necessary to “understand the autonomous decisions of private companies” and stressed that the executive “cannot answer for private companies”.

“I don’t see that this is even a question of partisan dialectics that can be made. Even with entrepreneurs. They understand better than anyone the autonomy of private business decisions,” he said.

On its website, consulted today by the Lusa news agency, Ryanair does not offer flights between the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, or the Portuguese mainland from November.

On Thursday, Berta Cabral admitted that the “understanding is based on a reduction in flights”. Still, she declined to go into detail as the connections are not yet available on the Irish carrier’s platform.

On Saturday, following the regional secretary’s statements, the leader of the PS/Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, demanded clarification from the regional government on the agreement with Ryanair, considering the issue too important to be treated with “half-truths”.

“This issue is too important, both for air access to the Azores and for the tourism sector, to be dealt with by the Regional Government as it has been so far, in a muddle of half-truths and half-words that only further increase the climate of uncertainty,” said the socialist and former president of the Azorean government (2012-2020).

On August 17, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Azores (CCIA) considered that the Regional Government must take an “incisive stance” on “the threat of abandonment” of the Ryanair airline in the region, stressing the weight of tourism in the local economy.

From Lusa news Agency in Açoriano Oriental

In a separate news story put forth by Diário Insular from Angra…

Vasco Cordeiro, leader of the PS/Azores, challenged the Regional Government to show the exact terms of the agreement it claims to have reached with the Irish airline regarding its operation in the Azores.
“I think everyone recognizes that this issue is too important, both for air accessibility to the Azores and for the tourism sector in particular, to be dealt with by the Regional Government, as it has been so far, in a muddle of half-truths and half-words that only further increase the climate of uncertainty and doubt on this matter,” said the socialist, quoted in a statement.

“On the one hand, the government says it expects Ryanair to comply with what has been agreed, but then says it can’t reveal the terms of the agreement because the process is still open. So what are we left with? Is there or isn’t there a deal?” added the parliamentary leader.
According to Cordeiro, what is “most evident” to anyone who follows this issue “is that there are too many silences and too few clarifications” from the current executive on this issue, something that “unfortunately indicates that the Regional Government is trailing behind events and without a defined strategy to deal with this situation.”
“This is usual with this government, but in a matter of this importance, it is truly dramatic and has a very negative impact, including on the planning of private investment in the area of tourism,” said the Socialist.
Vasco Cordeiro believes that it is essential to clarify the daily flight frequencies, their origin, and the availability of seats agreed by the Regional Government with Ryanair for the islands of S. Miguel and Terceira, the exact counterparts to which the Regional Government has committed itself; and how many direct and indirect jobs Ryanair’s operations will support on the islands of Terceira and S. Miguel.

“What is apparently presented as a negotiating achievement by the Regional Government is too vague, too opaque and too lacking in specifics for us to judge where we are on this issue. It is said that, in this understanding proclaimed by the Regional Government, the base will be extinguished and that there will be a reduction in flights. With all due respect, this has been known for some time!” he said.
“It seems to me that this is the answer to these questions that is important for economic operators, especially in Terceira and S. Miguel, to be able, in this new reality of setbacks and retraction, to organize their activity and plan their investments,” concluded the PS parliamentary leader.

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.