Statements made by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SATA (Azores Airlines and Air Açores), such as “those who don’t get in the way are already helping,” during a recent hearing at the Economy Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, have left the Angra do Heroísmo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIAH) “deeply concerned.”

At issue are “the content and tone of the statements,” according to a note from the body led by Marcos Couto.

“This statement, in addition to being inelegant, denotes a distorted conception of the role of civil society and democratic institutions. The company is publicly owned, financed with public funds, and subject to the transparency obligations imposed by law and its institutional nature.

Furthermore, when this same administration has failed to publish the 2024 Annual Report and Accounts, and nothing is known about the company’s performance in the first half of 2025,” reads the document sent to us.

The CCIAH even states that it “rejects outright any attempt to restrict the exercise of legitimate scrutiny by civil society and reaffirms that it will remain vigilant, fulfilling its institutional role with independence, rigour and a sense of responsibility.”

“No attempt to discredit or silence us will stop this Chamber of Commerce and Industry from intervening whenever the strategic interests of the Autonomous Region of the Azores are at stake,” said the organization led by Marcos Couto.

The SATA president’s claim that “not even the manufacturer knew exactly which parts were needed” for the aircraft engines “reveals an alarming lack of knowledge of the complexity and rigor with which the aviation industry operates.”

The CCIAH “also considers unfounded the statement that SATA, for years, served as a ‘surrogate mother for the economic and business fabric of the Azores.’” For the CCIAH, “this expression, in addition to being unfortunate in form and substance, disregards the strategic role of a regional public carrier, whose main objective is precisely to ensure connectivity, support the local economy, and guarantee the mobility of citizens and goods in an archipelago with specific logistical requirements.”

In Diário Insular-José Lourenço, director

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.