The President of the Government announced today that the Government will launch this month the public process to sell 49 percent of Azores Airlines' share capital. The purpose of this measure is to ensure a strategic partner that ensures greater strength and competitiveness to the development and consolidation of the airline's operation.
 
"The public process that will allow SATA Air Açores to sell 49% of the share capital it holds in Azores Airlines is scheduled to be launched during February," said Vasco Cordeiro. He spoke at the naming ceremony of the new Airbus A321 NEO purchased by the regional airline that connects the Azores to the outside.
 
After stressing that the major challenge that Azores Airlines faces is not just a matter of capital, the President of the Government stressed that this process aims, above all and in a first stage, to establish an alliance with a strategic partner that may reinforce the operational and technical capacity of the fleet and resources. Furthermore, it should leverage the company's activities and, thus, improve the conditions to better serve the Region.
 
In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro recalled that the airline currently operates in a very different reality from the recent past. This requires a permanent evaluation and updating of its role. In this regard, an external entity is already carrying out an audit with the aim of analysing situations such as that occurred last year. It is also important that public entities, employees, customers and the Azorean society in general have a "very clear and precise vision of the extremely competitive context."
 
"If this is the case of Azores Airlines, it is no less necessary to take the same care and have the ambition to do more and better to improve the service provided by SATA Air Açores to the Azorean population," assured Vasco Cordeiro.
 
In this case, the President of the Government mentioned that the divestment of share capital is not considered justifiable. Nevertheless, it is imperative to pay permanent attention to the response to two fundamental needs: the mobility of the Azorean population and the economy of the archipelago.
 
"Almost three years after the changes introduced to the air accessibility model in the Azores, this reality and its understanding, instead of justifying mistakes, only reinforces the urgency and ambition to do more and better within and outside SATA," said Vasco Cordeiro.
 
The President of the Government also pointed out the particularly demanding and challenging 2017 for Grupo SATA regarding several issues, namely some mishaps that have put to the test the company's resilience, professionalism and the ability to overcome challenges. According to him, "Azores Airlines begins 2018 with an unmistakable confidence in the future and belief in its ability to fulfil its role and its obligations."
 
"Therefore, it is a double circumstance, a happy one, that bring us here today. On the one hand, the symbolism of the entry into operation of a new aircraft and, on the other hand, the reaffirmation of our airline's willingness to fulfil its primary goal: serving the Azores and serving the Azorean people," said the government official.
 
The first Airbus A321 NEO purchased by Azores Airlines, whose godmother was Marta Neto de Medeiros dos Santos e Sousa, the best 11th form student from Antero de Quental Secondary School, was named after Marciano Veiga. He was the captain of the first flight of SATA on a Beechcraft that took place in 1947 between the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria.