A SATA (Air Açores) plane flying from Faial to Flores yesterday diverted to Terceira “following the detection of a technical problem with the hydraulic system,” the airline said in a press release. According to SATA, flight SP 570 “landed safely at around 11:25 a.m. local time, and passengers disembarked normally.” “Given the circumstances, the aircraft captain activated the local prevention declaration, a recommended procedure in such circumstances, which guarantees priority landing and prompt assistance on the ground,” it added.

At the end of the day, the airline revealed that the aircraft was awaiting “a technical opinion from the manufacturer and the competent aeronautical authorities” before it could resume operations. “This procedure is by the safety requirements of the airline and the industry,” explained SATA. Despite the outcome, passengers were left shaken. According to DI’s findings, the plane only landed on its third attempt.

According to information gathered by our newspaper, this incident forced a small private jet traveling from Pico to Terceira to wait in the air until the runway was clear to land at Lajes. Another SATA plane, which was scheduled to fly from Faial to Corvo, also remained on the ground after a technical issue was detected. According to SATA, a maintenance team was called to the site, and the aircraft “resumed operations after a technical assessment on site.”

However, “given the difficulty of making additional connections to the islands of Flores and Corvo” yesterday, the airline “opted to accommodate passengers on these connections on flights scheduled for the following day.”

According to SATA, the rest of the airline’s operations were ‘gradually returning to normal’ at the end of yesterday.

In Diário Insular, José Lourenço-director. Photos from Kurt Mendonça.

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