Business leaders seek FLAD’s support for an initiative that could attract airlines, expand transatlantic travel, and generate new investment opportunities.
The Angra do Heroísmo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIAH) has proposed establishing a United States customs and immigration preclearance facility at Lajes Airport on Terceira, arguing that the initiative could strengthen the island’s international connectivity, attract additional airlines, and stimulate economic development.
The proposal was presented by CCIAH President Marcos Couto during a business luncheon in Praia da Vitória on Tuesday, attended by José Manuel Durão Barroso, former Portuguese prime minister and current president of the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD). Couto urged the foundation to use its institutional relationships to bring the proposal into discussions between Portuguese and American authorities. Under the proposed system, known as U.S. preclearance, passengers traveling to the United States would complete American immigration, customs, and related entry procedures at Lajes before departure, rather than upon arrival in the United States.
Similar arrangements already operate at international airports in several countries, including Ireland. Couto noted that the system is available at 18 airports worldwide and suggested that its introduction on Terceira could make Lajes more attractive to airlines operating transatlantic routes.
For the Chamber of Commerce, the initiative represents an opportunity to convert Terceira’s longstanding strategic importance into more direct economic benefits. For decades, Lajes Air Base has played a significant role in relations between Portugal and the United States. Couto argued that the island should now benefit more substantially from that relationship through investment, employment, and commercial opportunities. “It is time for Terceira Island to benefit as well,” he declared.
The business leader emphasized that the proposal is not intended as a request for additional subsidies or financial compensation. Instead, the objective is to establish conditions that would encourage private investment and sustainable economic activity. Couto expressed the Chamber’s willingness to mobilize local businesses and participate in developing a financially viable project.
Durão Barroso acknowledged the potential significance of the initiative but stressed that decisions concerning American border control procedures fall under the authority of the Portuguese and United States governments, not FLAD. Nevertheless, he expressed openness to helping advance discussions through the foundation’s institutional connections. He also highlighted the potential role of the Portuguese-American diaspora, whose relationships with members of Congress and federal institutions could help bring attention to the proposal in Washington.
The initiative comes amid broader efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between Portugal and the United States.
During the meeting, Barroso announced that FLAD is establishing a new area of activity dedicated specifically to business cooperation, with the objective of connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and institutions in both countries.
“We want Azorean businesspeople to be part of this dynamic,” he stated.
Barroso also reported that FLAD has tripled its support for the Azores over the past three years, reaching approximately €1 million in funding for initiatives involving education, science, technology, culture, and social responsibility.
He reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to giving the archipelago particular attention because of its historic and geographic importance in Portuguese-American relations.
“The Azores are a very important focus of our activity,” Barroso said, adding that providing substantial priority to the islands is a moral responsibility for the foundation.
The preclearance proposal remains at an initial stage, and its implementation would require formal discussions and approval by the relevant authorities in both countries. No agreement or timetable has been announced.
For Terceira’s business community, however, the proposal offers a potential new direction for Lajes Airport, connecting its historic transatlantic role with opportunities in commercial aviation, tourism, and investment.
Source: Based on statements by Marcos Couto and José Manuel Durão Barroso during a CCIAH business luncheon in Praia da Vitória, November 2026, as reported by Diário Insular. Photos by JEdgardo Vieira and DI.