“We have already asked SATA to carry out a needs assessment. We have authorised many extraordinary inter-island flights, but we need to carry out a rigorous study because, effectively, as I said, there is Faial asking for flights, there is Pico asking for flights, there is Terceira asking for flights”, said Berta Cabral.

The governor, who was speaking during the discussion of the Azores Budget for 2025, at the Legislative Assembly, in Horta, considered that air transport in the region “deserves to be studied”.

“I am in a position to say that we will soon have news about this, with the increase in flights to these islands that I just mentioned”, she added.

Previously, in her opening speech, Berta Cabral stated that tourism in the Azores is at “its highest point ever” and reiterated that public investment for 2025 has “the priority focus on implementing the Recovery and Resilience Plan”.

In the debate, socialist Marlene Damião considered that the reduction in Ryanair flights in the low season and the “instability” in the SATA group reveal the executive's “inability” to “ensure connectivity in the airline sector” in the region.

Calling for greater “intervention” in the face of “low wages” practiced in tourism, the PS deputy argued that “responses” from the Regional Government are also needed to reduce the impact” of imposing a maximum ceiling on the social mobility allowance by of the Government of the Republic.