The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport challenged today the National Government to comply with the estimated schedule of Public Service Obligations for air transport to and from the Azores.

In a communication from the Government to the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Vítor Fraga reminded that the Regional Government has already submitted the official and final proposal to the National Government, which informed that it will be subject to the approval of the Council of Ministers in September.

The government official urged the National Government "to comply with the schedule so that the new air transport model for the Region will be in force in the next IATA summer, that is, by the end of March next year."

Vítor Fraga recalled the path followed throughout this process since its beginning on August 18, 2011, when the then Regional Secretary for the Economy expressed the Regional Government's intention to revise the Public Service Obligations for air transport between the Azores and Mainland Portugal during a meeting held with the Minister of Economy and Employment.

Given the silence of the Government, the Azorean Government took the initiative to send a proposal for the revision of Public Service Obligations to the Minister of Economy and Employment on May 11, 2012.

About a year and a half after the submission of the proposal, "there were several misconceptions on the part of the National Government." It was then decided "to create a tripartite working group (National Government, Government of the Azores and INAC) with the mission of analysing and studying some aspects of the proposal."

The Regional Secretary stressed that this long process culminated in the final proposal that will be under discussion at the Council of Ministers. In this regard, the government official conveyed his satisfaction "for the results achieved, namely in the definition of this new model, which is based on the proposal initially submitted to the National Government in May 2012.”

"Throughout this process, the Government of the Azores did what every Azorean should expect from its Government: the unyielding defence of the interests of the Azores and the Azorean people," assured the Regional Government.

Furthermore, Vítor Fraga informed that the Government of the Azores is working with SATA "to render it more competitive and sustainable within the rules of the new model, so that the regional airliner may actively contribute to the creation of wealth in the Region and continue to be a reference in the provision of quality service to all Azoreans."

However, the Regional Secretary assured that the Government of the Azores will not be limited to these efforts. It is already working on a new Public Service Obligations scheme for inter-island flight connections "in order to boost the mobility of the Azorean people as well as of those who visit the archipelago, and reduce costs."

The goal is "to implement a new reality in terms of airline transport starting in the next IATA summer in order to continue contributing to the development of each island," stressed the Regional Secretary.

Vítor Fraga also assured that the "Government of the Azores will continue working, without detracting from the merit of others, in order to achieve the best solutions for the present and the future."