The number of passengers arriving at airports in the Azores declined again in January, with about 112,000 arrivals—down 3.5 percent from the same month a year earlier—according to data released by the Regional Statistics Service (SREA).

“In January 2026, a total of 112,441 passengers arrived at Azorean airports, representing a year-on-year decrease of 3.5 percent,” the SREA said in its air passenger traffic report published Tuesday.

The January drop follows a series of year-over-year declines recorded between September and November 2025 (0.4 percent, 1.1 percent, and 2.5 percent, respectively), after a modest 0.5 percent rebound in December.

Despite the recent slowdown, 2025 closed with a new annual record, as more than 2.3 million passengers arrived at Azorean airports, a 2.6 percent increase compared with 2024.

Of the roughly 112,000 passengers who arrived in January, 53,739 traveled on territorial flights from mainland Portugal and Madeira, accounting for 47.8 percent of the total. Inter-island flights followed closely, with 50,105 arrivals, or 44.6 percent. International flights accounted for the smallest share, with 8,597 passengers, or 7.6 percent.

While inter-island passenger numbers rose 1.7 percent year over year, territorial flights declined by 5.1 percent, and international arrivals fell sharply, down 19 percent.

Among the nine islands, four recorded year-over-year growth in January: Pico (up 27.1 percent), Corvo (26.3 percent), São Jorge (0.8 percent), and Santa Maria (0.3 percent). The remaining islands saw declines, led by Faial (-9.2 percent) and São Miguel (-5.4 percent), followed by Flores (-2.8 percent), Terceira (-2.7 percent), and Graciosa (-2.0 percent).

São Miguel continued to dominate passenger traffic, with 63,551 arrivals—56.5 percent of the total—followed by Terceira with 26,971 passengers (24 percent), Faial with 6,769 (6 percent), and Pico with 4,610 (4.1 percent).

Departures also fell in January. A total of 113,005 passengers boarded flights at Azorean airports, a 4.8 percent decrease from January 2025. The steepest drop occurred in international departures, which fell 19.2 percent to 9,796 passengers. Territorial departures declined 7.2 percent to 52,885 passengers, while inter-island departures increased slightly, up 1.5 percent to 50,324.

In Diário Insular-José Lourenço-director

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