The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport stated in Ponta Delgada that the Azores are going through the "biggest reform ever in terms of the accessibility and mobility of all Azoreans."

Speaking at end of the visit to a hotel unit, Vítor Fraga stressed that the Region is a few days away of implementing the new accessibility model, "which will clearly benefit all Azores, with the definition of a maximum fare price for all residents who wish to travel to Mainland Portugal or to the Autonomous Region of Madeira."

The government official also mentioned that "this is a very important day," considering that the new Public Service Obligations (PSO) for inter-island air transport were published today in the Official Journal of the European Union.

According to Vítor Fraga, this official publication allows us to launch, next Friday, the tender for these obligations, which will enter into force on October. They represent "the most significant reduction ever in terms of accessibility costs and inter-island mobility of Azorean citizens," with an average reduction of prices exceeding 20%.

For the Regional Secretary, this reduction "will significantly improve mobility" which, together with the changes in the definition of Public Service Obligations, will boost the interconnection capacity between all islands and ensure the access of all islands to flight connections to Mainland Portugal and Madeira.

Vítor Fraga expressed his belief that "public authorities and, above all, private entities are clearly prepared to meet the new challenges with great confidence and optimism, as it is seen here today."