The regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration approved the terms of the guarantee, enabling the airline to contract the loan. The operation, arranged with BPI bank, has a seven-year term with a two-year grace period and will carry an interest rate of six-month Euribor plus a 1% spread.

One of the conditions requires the Azorean Government to maintain its full, direct or indirect ownership in the company. The decision is based on a resolution passed in July 2025 authorising guarantees of up to €75 million for SATA Air Açores from banks and other financial institutions.

This move follows a wider restructuring process. In June 2022, the European Commission approved €453.25 million in Portuguese state aid for SATA, in loans and guarantees, to support a restructuring plan that included organisational reform and the divestment of a controlling 51% stake.

Negotiations are currently underway between the Regional Government and the Newtou/MS Aviation consortium for the privatisation of Azores Airlines, SATA’s international subsidiary. The government has said it hopes to finalise the deal by September.

Despite ongoing restructuring efforts, the group continues to face heavy losses. SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines closed 2024 with a combined deficit of 82.8 million - more than double the €36 million reported in 2023. The bulk of the losses came from Azores Airlines, which recorded a negative result of €71.2 million, compared with €26.1 million in 2023. SATA Air Açores, which operates inter-island flights, reported a €11.6 million loss, up from €10 million the previous year.