The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport assured today that the Regional Government will "continue to contribute so that SATA may continue its mission to serve the Azores and the Azoreans and meet the accessibility and mobility needs of all Azoreans."

Vítor Fraga spoke at the Legislative Assembly during the debate on the report issued by the Commission of Inquiry on Grupo SATA. The government official stressed that the Government will be always available, together with the regional airline, to provide the "appropriate responses, under the new regulatory framework, in order to ensure its sustainable development and response capacity for all Azoreans, which is expected from a public company such as SATA."

"The Government has always demonstrated an open minded attitude and a spirit of full cooperation with the Commission of Inquiry, providing all the information and responding accordingly, which is also its obligation," said the government official.

For Vítor Fraga, the Commission of Inquiry "was a good opportunity to clarify all facts, that is, to clear up what has been a fictional reality that had been created to impose the responsibility of the evils of the world on the Government of the Azores."

The Secretary for Transport also noted that "SATA Internacional transported more than 26,257 passengers in 2015 in the Public Service Obligation routes in a completely new context with the changes in the accessibility model and the amendments to Public Service Obligations in the Region. This shows that SATA was prepared to respond and overcome the unforeseen obstacles that were created by the National Government led by PSD and CDS-PP, when TAP unexpectedly cancelled the routes of Horta and Pico."

In this scenario, "SATA once again showed that, when necessary, is here to serve the Azores and the Azoreans, Vítor Fraga said, adding that "this is what is expected from SATA and this is what we work for."

The Regional Secretary also stressed that the Government of the Azores will not follow the path of others who "have a clearly defined strategy with electoral purposes that intends to destroy SATA for political benefit."

"Do not count with us to call into question the workplace of more than 1,000 Azoreans. Do not count with us to call into question the professionalism and quality that SATA workers have demonstrated in the performance of their duties," said Vítor Fraga.