The Regional Government of the Azores assures that the launch of new international routes by SATA Internacional – Azores Airlines is based on a comprehensive analysis of economic and strategic criteria, as stated in a response sent to the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores regarding the carrier’s operations outside the archipelago. Among the factors considered are demand and market potential, seasonality, economic and financial sustainability, the strategic relevance of the routes, the contribution to tourism and connectivity, as well as operational and regulatory feasibility.

The executive’s position responds to a request submitted by the Chega Parliamentary Group on March 6 regarding the profitability of the Azorean airline’s routes originating in or destined for the Azores. In the document, the deputies questioned the Government about the list of routes currently operated, the profitability of each route, the average load factor, the criteria for opening new destinations, and the admissibility of maintaining structurally unprofitable routes. In its response, the Government lists the routes currently operated by SATA Azores Airlines outside the Azores.

The list includes connections between Ponta Delgada and Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Funchal, Boston, New York, Toronto, Montreal, Frankfurt, Paris, Barcelona, and Praia, as well as the routes Terceira-Lisbon, Terceira-Porto, Terceira-Funchal, Terceira-Boston, and Terceira-Toronto, in addition to the connections Horta-Lisbon, Pico-Lisbon, and Santa Maria-Lisbon. The regional executive also released aggregate data on the average load factor by route group over the past three years. On routes to North America, the average load factor was 81.8% in 2023, dropped to 78.4% in 2024, and rose again to 82.7% in 2025.

On routes to Portugal, the figures were 84.4% in 2023, 85.6% in 2024, and 83.2% in 2025. On routes to Europe and Africa, the average load factor stood at 73.5% in 2023 and at 72.4% in both 2024 and 2025. Regarding the expansion of operations, the Government notes that, for now, there are no plans to launch new routes in the short or medium term, beyond the Terceira-Funchal connection, recently established under Public Service Obligations. According to the response sent to Parliament, this new model, outlined in Commission Communication C/2025/2986 of May 23, requires the route to be, at a minimum, financially balanced.

The document also states that the financial performance of the routes is subject to ongoing monitoring, with continuous adjustments to the company’s operational plan based on market conditions. This monitoring, the Government adds, may lead to the cancellation of routes, noting that, over the past two years, the carrier has ceased operations to three destinations on the European continent. In the same response, the government makes only a brief reference to the fact that it does not publicly disclose individualized profitability and load factor indicators by route, as it considers them commercially sensitive in a competitive market.

In Diário dos Açores – Paulo Viveiros, 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.