Pedro Ferreira, deputy for the Iniciativa Liberal in the Azorean Parliament, is calling for a fundamental rethinking of the future of inter-island air travel in the Azores, arguing that the Region should begin preparing a new Public Service Obligation (OSP) framework capable of opening the market to additional airlines and reducing pressure on SATA Air Açores.

Following a meeting with the administration of the Aerogare Civil das Lajes on Terceira Island, Ferreira defended the idea that the current air transport model has reached structural limits and that greater competition on heavily traveled routes could improve service quality for both residents and tourists.

“SATA Air Açores can no longer, by itself, respond to everything politicians expect it to do,” Ferreira said, citing aircraft breakdowns, recurring delays, and flight cancellations. “We need to seriously begin preparing the next OSP framework with provisions for opening inter-island routes to competition.”

The Liberal deputy argued that allowing a second airline to operate high-demand routes such as Ponta Delgada–Terceira or Ponta Delgada–Pico could free SATA Air Açores to reinforce service to smaller islands while simultaneously improving reliability and service standards.

“If another company enters routes with greater demand, SATA Air Açores could redirect resources toward the islands that need stronger connectivity,” he explained. “We would then have two companies operating within a public-service framework that could improve overall service quality.”

Ferreira warned that the current situation is damaging not only for Azorean residents who depend heavily on inter-island flights, but also for the Region’s tourism industry.

“At this moment, tourists who miss connections because of delays or cancellations may simply decide never to return to the Azores,” he said. “And if we continue providing poor-quality service, we will not have quality tourism in the future.”

According to the Liberal Party deputy, several companies could potentially be interested in entering the inter-island market if the future OSP tender were carefully structured.

Beyond the issue of airline competition, Ferreira also proposed a broader strategic vision for the complementary roles of the Azores’ two principal airports — João Paulo II Airport and the Aerogare Civil das Lajes on Terceira.

He argued that the two airports should no longer be viewed through the lens of island rivalry, but instead as part of an integrated regional aviation strategy.

“The airports of Lajes and Ponta Delgada should function as alternatives and complements to one another,” he stated, warning against what he described as increasingly harmful “parochial political disputes” surrounding both healthcare and transportation infrastructure in the Region.

“What matters is not what São Miguel has and Terceira does not have,” Ferreira said. “What matters is working in complementarity.”

According to the Liberal deputy, the airport in Ponta Delgada is already beginning to face capacity limitations due to growing passenger numbers and route expansion, making Terceira strategically important for future growth.

“The Terceira airport must become complementary,” he argued.

Ferreira also proposed that the Aerogare Civil das Lajes assume a more autonomous and proactive role in attracting routes and tourism flows not only to Terceira, but also to nearby islands such as Graciosa Island and São Jorge Island.

Under the proposal, the airport would work in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Angra do Heroísmo, the municipalities of Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória, and potentially other local governments in the Central Group islands to strengthen regional tourism and air connectivity.

Ferreira said he left the meeting with airport officials “hopeful about the future,” praising ongoing work at the infrastructure, while also acknowledging that final route decisions ultimately remain in the hands of airlines themselves.

The debate emerges at a moment when transportation, tourism sustainability, and territorial cohesion continue to occupy a central place in Azorean political discussions. In an archipelago where air mobility is not merely a convenience but a necessity of daily life, the future structure of inter-island aviation remains inseparable from broader questions of economic balance, regional equity, and the long-term cohesion of the islands themselves.

In Atlântico Expresso-Natalino Viveiros, director.