In a letter sent to SATA’s (the Azorean Ailine) Board of Directors, with information sent to the presidency of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) and the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ALRAA), to which the Lusa news agency had access, the president of the Flores Island Council, José António Corvelo, expressed his “vehement protest” at the decision.

“Even though we know that our protest will not deter the current Board of Directors, which has the favorable opinion of its main shareholder, we want to make it clear that this is yet another mistake by our airline, on top of others made by previous administrations that have led the company to the situation it is in today,” he said.

According to the president of the Flores Island Council, the region needs SATA and its proximity “which started right in its stores, like bread for the mouth”.

SATA announced that it would reorganize its service model, concentrating ticket sales, reservations, and information services at airport counters and telephone answering services, instead of stores.

“From August 1st, the airlines of the SATA Group, SATA Air Açores, and Azores Airlines, will concentrate their customer services in the Azores (ticket sales, reservation changes, and general information) at airport counters and through the Contact Center (telephone answering service),” the company said.

SATA explained that the reorganization is part of “a broader and more comprehensive plan aimed at ensuring the company’s sustainability in the medium and long term”.

In the Flores Island Council document, its president claims that “making this service available at RIAC will soon create another problem because these stores will be overloaded with this service on top of so many others”.

On the other hand, José António Corvelo observes that “the call center service is not fast, sometimes giving a lot of ‘music’ and little speed in the service, even though the professionals who attend to us do their best”.

“We have an aging population that often needs face-to-face help to settle certain situations, such as travel, many of them for health reasons,” he warns.

In his opinion, “there is also the problem of the lack of conditions at the Flores airfield, which is bursting at the seams, starting with its parking lot, whose problems have already been pointed out to the authorities several times during statutory visits”.

in Açoriano Oriental from LUSA News Agency

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.