Government of the Azores justifies cancellation of SATA Lisbon-Horta flights with “low demand”
The information, to which Lusa had access today, was provided by the regional undersecretary of the Presidency, in response to a request presented by the PS at the Regional Legislative Assembly.
“Regarding the cancellation of five connections between Lisbon-Horta-Lisbon, in February, and three in March 2022, these were due to the same exceptional and extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic situation of the covid-19 disease, namely the 5th. vacancy, which exacerbated the general retraction in demand, which can be attested by the lowest levels of reservations and occupancy of flights registered since mid-December 2021, says the undersecretary.
In the response, the Government indicates that “for another two weeks in February, four rotations in the month of February (01, 08, 15 and 22) and three months in March (08, 15 and 22)”.
“The decisions for the plans were planned in advance, which varied between 40 and 19 scheduled departures, having between the decision based on objective data of the wanted, the ‘forecasting’ models that the company used, and that the company used has proved his,” justification.
To “avoid further constraints to SATA passengers, as well as increased costs, Azores Airlines must always carry out cancellations as soon as possible, provided that the conditions for predicting flight delays are met”, note.
“all passengers and flights on the same flights were protected via Ponta Delgada/or Terceira Viagem”.
“Defining selected flights for selected flights to search for income/remaining data, specifically when these are selected for selected flights to select”, added.
The cancellations, which will take place on Tuesday, “all flights fall to the fair you are looking for, as a rule, on all routes and days with the opera Azores Airlines, the day of demand”.
As for the IATA summer 2022 on the Lisbon-Horta-Lisbon route, “Azores Airlines plans to operate an offer similar to the IATA summer 2019 (reference year, as it is the last pre-pandemic year)”, indicates the Regional Government.
The PS group in the Legislative Assembly of the Azores questioned the Regional Government on 14 February about the reasons for the cancellation of eight SATA air connections between Lisbon and Horta in February and March.
Tiago Branco said that “the flight cancellations that Azores Airlines made on the connection between Lisbon and the time of the connection are located in the location of this gateway to the region” and “its importance for this geographical area of the archipelago”.
The socialist deputy expressed “strangeness at the fact that it is approaching with the IATA summer” and that “there is no sign of the [SATA] Azores Airlines for this very important period for the economy of Faial, which is the high season”.
Socialists are asking for flight occupancy rates at the time when flight orders were cancelled.
The PS also asked the Regional Government, of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition, if “not to consider that the cancellation of flights, a few months in advance, with a loss as their occupancy rates”.
“It is important to understand these programming aircraft for the close connections are being moved to other routes operated by Azores Airlines and what is the indication of Azores Airlines for the IATA summer on the Lisbon-Horta-Lisbon route.
ACG // JPS