For the President of the Government, the expansion works of São Jorge airport is "a work that represents a true turning point in the flight connections to this island. It is a work of which the Government is proud, being an asset to São Jorge islanders. This investment contributes to the integration of São Jorge Island."

Carlos César spoke yesterday evening during the opening of the expansion works of the runway and other interventions that were carried out at São Jorge Airport. The project aims to reinforce the safety conditions for the regional airline's aircrafts, particularly on the days when weather conditions hinder the operation of SATA aircrafts.

The runway of the São Jorge Airport was expanded by 200 metres and widened by 15 metres in an intervention awarded to a consortium led by Tecnovia Açores, which also included the companies Somague Ediçor and Marques.

The implementation project required the construction of a landfill on one of the tops of the runway with nearly one million cubic metres of inert materials, reaching a height of 40 cubic metres.

For Carlos César, "the opening of this investment undertaken by the Regional Government, through SATA, marks the completion of a project whose impact will endure in future generations and significantly improve accessibility to São Jorge."

The works carried out in the expansion of the runway, the new control tower, investments in the areas of communications, the new fire station and other interventions represented an investment of 27 million Euros. Moreover, other investments were previously made in the construction of the new terminal and car park.

The works were carried out with the purpose of qualifying this infrastructure and reinforce its safety and operating conditions. In this context, these interventions will boost mobility and the island's attractiveness; improve the lives of people as well as the operation of several companies.

The President of the Government stressed that "this airport is a gateway for tourism and an opportunity to export some products from São Jorge to other islands or external markets."

Carlos César recalled that when he entered into office, the annual number of passengers was bellow 35,000. "Nowadays, there are over 51,000 passengers per year and a volume of mail and cargo that reaches 140 tonnes. This increase was common to what we designate as the market of cohesion islands, where the number of passengers doubled. In 1996 there were little over than one thousand passengers and now this number has grown to over two thousand."

Over the past 15 years, the Government has undertaken a significant effort, making considerable investments in all regional airports in addition to reducing transport costs for passengers and cargo.

"When I entered into office, the average cost of air fares for inter island routes was much higher than today. In 1996, the average cost was of 200 Euros at prices of 2011 and nowadays the fares have a cost of about 124 Euros. It is important to continue this work because we are aware, either in air or maritime transport, this area of our economy is fundamental to increasingly improve the performance so that we may be able to boost our economic and business activities."

"These investments we are now opening today," continued the President of the Government, "mark a period in which we were able to accomplish various aspirations of the Azorean people and in particular of São Jorge islanders, overcoming weaknesses and introducing new benefits and opportunities."

But Carlos César also launched an alert to the current political moment. "We are now going through a period of exceptional creativity and imagination on the part of regional politicians, which always precedes election campaigns." But "it would be good not to lose rationality in these periods. It would be good that advertising does not become into something that can be used for everything. At a moment when sometimes it seems that one loses the sense of reality with candidates criticising the health system and the poor that benefit from the Social Integration Income and other social benefits. Some candidates consider that the region is on the verge of bankruptcy and later on make avalanche of promises costing millions of Euros.

The President of the Government says that "one needs to be rational, conscientious and be aware of the regional reality. And it is especially important to praise the truth. The path of progress we have followed in the Azores cannot be forgotten in these circumstances. It is an important heritage that is the direct result of the specific actions developed by Government's as well as by citizens in general. The best we have done is due to a strong complicity between the Government, citizens, businesspeople, entrepreneurs and all those with entrepreneurial spirit that believe in the present and future of the Azores."