In February, 105,276 passengers arrived at the airports of the Azores, a decrease of 7.3 percent compared with the same month in 2025, according to data released by the Azores Regional Statistics Service (SREA).

The decline affected all segments of air traffic, though it was particularly sharp in international connections, which fell 27.3 percent to 8,313 arriving passengers. Territorial flights—those linking the Azores with mainland Portugal and Madeira—registered a 4.0 percent decline, totaling 52,491 arrivals, while inter-island routes dropped 6.4 percent, to 44,472 passengers.

Departures also recorded a downturn. Across the Azorean airports, 104,553 passengers boarded outbound flights, representing a 6.9 percent year-over-year decrease. Once again, international travel showed the steepest contraction, falling 25.1 percent to 6,796 departing passengers. Territorial flights decreased 4.6 percent to 53,049 passengers, while inter-island departures fell 6.0 percent to 44,708.

Among arrivals in February, territorial flights accounted for nearly half of all traffic, representing 49.9 percent of the total, followed by inter-island flights with 42.2 percent, and international connections with 7.9 percent.

The decline in passenger movement was recorded across all nine islands of the archipelago. In percentage terms, the steepest drop occurred on Graciosa, where traffic fell 18.6 percent, followed by Terceira (–10.4 percent) and São Jorge (–8.9 percent). Other declines were registered on Flores (–7.2 percent), São Miguel (–6.6 percent), Corvo (–5.4 percent), Pico (–2.7 percent), Faial (–2.5 percent), and Santa Maria (–0.8 percent).

Despite the overall reduction, São Miguel remained the dominant gateway to the region, with 61,293 arriving passengers, representing 58.2 percent of the total. It was followed by Terceira with 25,227 arrivals, Faial with 6,108, and Pico with 3,625 passengers.

For the first two months of the year, the Azores’ airports recorded 217,717 arriving passengers, down from 230,126 during the same period in 2025, a decline of 5.4 percent.

International travel continues to show the sharpest contraction. Between January and February, international arrivals fell 23.3 percent to 16,910 passengers, while territorial flights declined 4.6 percent to 106,230 arrivals, and inter-island traffic slipped 2.3 percent to 94,577 passengers.

In Diário dos Açores, Paulo Viveiros, director.

Photos from Diário dos Açores, and Diário Insular.

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.