Following a record-setting year for SATA Group, long-haul subsidiary Azores Airlines has announced it has officially passed the one million passengers carried in a single year for the first time in the airline’s history.
Celebrating the moment
SATA Group has boasted a record-setting 2022, with 540,000 passengers carried by Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores in July and August, reaching its yearly combined million passenger milestone on August 3, several days ahead of the same target in 2019.
Less than five months later, Azores Airlines has smashed that target alone, a feat never before accomplished within the SATA Group. The one million passenger mark was hit on November 29, specifically onboard a morning flight between Ponta Delgada’s João Paulo II Airport (PDL) and Porto (OPO), S4 172.
Two lucky passengers, Miguel and Inês, were presented with a comically oversized boarding pass upon check-in by SATA Group Chairman Luís Rodrigues to commemorate the moment, as well as being gifted a souvenir certificate to take home with them.
Rodrigues celebrated the achievement, noting its significance for the airline;
"It's a symbolic day for all those who work daily to grow Azores Airlines' air operation. And nothing seemed to make more sense than sharing our enthusiasm and success with passengers who choose to travel with us. After all, without our passengers' trust, we would not have achieved this milestone in a single year."
SATA Futures
Despite the impact of COVID-19 still weighing heavily on the European aviation industry, SATA Group’s Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores have been some of the few airlines to report an increase on 2019’s figures. Through the summer, SATA Group carried 22.9% more passengers than in the same period in 2019, with a record 10,961 passengers flying on both airlines on August 13.
The pair have likely benefited in part from relaxed entry requirements in the Azores archipelago and Madeira during the pandemic, allowing for tourism to consistently flow through the region while other popular destinations across Europe remained on lockdown.
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Azores Airlines has seen significant demand through 2021 and 2022, providing several opportunities for network expansion, including its most recent introduction of a permanent, year-round Madeira (FNC) – New York-JFK (JFK) service in November.
Looming privatization?
Despite its significant successes throughout the year, the autonomous Azorean parliament has begun looking to privatize Azores Airlines ahead of a corporate restructuring of SATA Group later this month. The plan was approved by the European Commission back in June following prolonged financial difficulties for SATA. The Azorean parliament unsuccessfully attempted to privatize the carrier in 2018 and 2020, though withdrew both times, raising questions as to whether a sale will go ahead this time.
Through 2021 and 2022, the government set aside €144.5 million ($152 million) to boost SATA’s operations. However, Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration Duarte Freitas cited the cash injections as "unrepeatable expenditures" following the release of its 2023 budget.
Azores Airlines is set to be put up for public tender on January 1, 2023.
Have you had a chance to fly with Azores Airlines before? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.