Lajes Airport in Terceira Island reached one million passengers this week, achieving a historic milestone in annual passenger traffic. The event was marked with a symbolic ceremony attended by the Vice-President of the Regional Government of the Azores, Artur Lima.
The one-millionth passenger, an American of Terceira descent, is named Timothy Hanley and arrived in Terceira from California, traveling on TAP from Lisbon. At the ceremony, he was welcomed by Lajes Airport workers and airport partners. He was presented with two bottles of Terceira wine – one Chico Maria and the other Donatário, from Casa Brum, in Biscoitos – and a commemorative plaque marking the occasion.
Artur Lima expressed his satisfaction at the achievement at the time, saying that this “is a historic day for the Azores, particularly for Terceira airport, which has reached one million passengers.”
“It’s due,” he added, ”to the work of the whole team, from the air terminal staff to the various airlines and all the partners. All the joint effort has allowed this to happen.”

THE WHOLE AND THE PARTS
“Making passenger one million happen is a milestone we wanted. We achieved it at the end of 2024. And we’re going to work to make 2025 an even better year for Lajes airport, for Terceira island and for the Azores,” he said. “Only by developing each of our parts can we develop the Azores as a whole,” he said.
At the end of the event, the president mentioned the moment’s symbolism and alluded to the strategic importance of Terceira Island and Lajes Airport in the archipelago context.
“This result is a demonstration that the work underway to attract flights is being done well and must continue,” he said.
Artur Lima said, “this is an excellent indicator for the recognition of Terceira as a quality tourist destination and for the growth of the regional economy.”
Lajes airport is a Portuguese military structure, and a US military unit has been based since 1943.
Civilian flights are allowed but subject to the military interests of Portugal, the US, and NATO.
Although the US has been downsizing its presence at Lajes since 2015, the military constraints on civilian operations remain in place.
The Lajes base is considered by military analysts to be the most important US infrastructure in Europe, especially given the global strategic competition affecting the Atlantic.

In Diário Insular, José Lourenço-director

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