The leading candidate for the Democratic Alliance (AD), a center-right coalition running for the Assembly of the Republic in the legislative elections on March 10, Paulo Moniz, has called for “the Republic (the national government) to apply a model similar to the Azores Tariff,” reviewing the method of reimbursing the social mobility allowance on airline tickets between the Azores and the mainland.
The candidate advocates that passengers only pay the 134 euros, removing “the bureaucracy inherent in the ticket reimbursement process, which forces people to have considerable amounts of money to advance if they want to travel and then have to go and collect the reimbursement.”
Paulo Moniz said, “This would also be a way of avoiding possible fraud in this area.”
“In the case of Azorean students who move to the mainland, they often have to go to CTT stations (post offices) far from where they live, with added problems because they’re on the move, when there’s no reason why this process shouldn’t be simpler, as the Regional Government of the Azores has proved with the Azores Tariff model,” he said.
“We want the Government of the Republic to take on this change once and for all and make life and mobility easier for the Azoreans,” he stressed.

Stª Maria Airport
Paulo Moniz also highlighted “another fundamental issue, which has to do with the opening of Santa Maria Airport during the night,” a measure that is the responsibility of ANA/Vinci. This entity holds the concession for this airport.
The leading candidate for the center-right coalition pledged “to do everything in the next legislature with the Government of the Republic so that there can be dialogue and a conversation with ANA Vinci, involving the other partners in this problem, such as ANAC (National Civil Aviation Authority).”


For the Social Democrat, resuming the night-time opening of Santa Maria Airport “is fundamental so that national operators can have it on their stopover radar,” without forgetting the economic opportunities this opening can bring to the island.”
Recently, the mayor of Vila do Porto announced that she intends to strengthen contacts to reopen Santa Maria Airport at night.
Bárbara Chaves revealed that she intends to contact the relevant authorities again, starting with ANA/Vinci itself.

in Diário Insular-José Lourenço-director

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