Latest news and stories about air travel in Azores, Portugal for expats and residents.
The SATA aviation group is operating extraordinary flights between Sunday and Monday to clear a backlog of passengers caused by heavy fog in the Azores. The weather conditions, which began on Friday, forced the cancellation of multiple flights operated by SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines.
The president of the Portuguese Hotel, Restaurant and Similar Services Association identifies limited air access capacity as the primary obstacle to tourism growth in the Azores, noting that the region's appeal remains strong.
Civil air traffic at Lajes Air Base in the Azores faces a week-long fuel supply suspension due to contamination, though military operations remain unaffected.
The Ponta Delgada Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIPD) has requested that the Competition Authority (AdC) analyse the competitive conditions for air links between the mainland and the Azores, which in some periods exceed 500 euros. The business association for the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria states that it has sent an official letter...
Since the beginning of 2026, the Azores have recorded a decline in air arrivals. The largest drop was seen in territorial flights (mainland and Madeira), followed by international ones.
The low-cost airline Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM group, announced it will begin a new route between Ponta Delgada in the Azores and Brussels, Belgium, in the summer of 2027. Tickets for this and other new destinations will go on sale on September 16th. This expansion follows the recent establishment of a local crew base at Brussels Airport and adds to the airline's existing connections to Faro and Porto.
The island of São Miguel will be closer to Brussels with the new Transavia flights. Tickets will be on sale from 16 September and the connections will begin in the summer of 2027.
The low-cost airline Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM group, announced today that it will launch a route between Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, and Brussels, Belgium, in the summer of 2027. "In the summer of 2027, the airline will add Ponta Delgada, Heraklion, and Thessaloniki to its network. Tickets for these destinations will be...
The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, said today that the Azorean executive is “working in a serious, competent and well-founded manner” on the creation of an air route fund for the region. “We are working in a serious, competent and well-founded manner to build an effective, legally robust instrument that is fully compatible with...
Home News More flight routes could soon come to the Azores More flight routes could soon come to the Azores The Government of the Azores is developing the Air Route Development Fund.
The number of passengers disembarking at Azorean airports saw another drop in July. The decline 'could start to translate into less employment', according to the president of the PS in the Azores.
SATA states that among the first measures is the issuance, starting in December 2026, of aeronautical forecasts (TAF) for Pico Aerodrome, which will then be able to be used as an alternate airport.
A warning of possible overheating led the captain of a TAP aircraft to divert to Lajes. José Correia Guedes explains why, when there are doubts about safety, the priority is to land and inspect the aircraft. The commentator also addresses concerns regarding the recent incidents involving TAP aircraft.
Home News TAP flight to Boston diverted to Azores due to technical issue TAP flight to Boston diverted to Azores due to technical issue A TAP Air Portugal flight bound for Boston made an unscheduled landing in the Azores on Sunday, 2 August, after the crew identified a technical issue during the
A TAP aircraft heading to Boston, in the United States, declared an emergency. It landed on Terceira Island, in the Azores, due to overheating in the cargo holds.
The landing occurred due to a technical fault, according to the airline. On Saturday, another TAP flight that took off bound for Curitiba returned to Lisbon due to a technical issue.
A TAP Air Portugal aircraft, flying from Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon to Boston, USA, interrupted its journey this Sunday (August 2nd) and diverted to Terceira Island in the Azores. According to flight tracking platform Flightradar24, flight TP217 departed Lisbon at 12:17 PM and made an unplanned landing in the Azores during the afternoon. In an official statement, TAP confirmed the incident, stating: 'Flight TP217 made an unscheduled stop in Terceira as a precaution to assess a technical issue. The flight will continue to its final destination as soon as possible.' This follows another operational incident on Saturday, where a TAP flight bound for Curitiba was forced to return to Lisbon due to unspecified technical issues.
The party states that the territorial continuity mechanism is “trapping the Azoreans” by requiring full payment for the trip before reimbursement, which can take months.
SATA explained that diverting the flight to the nearest airport is the recommended procedure for this type of incident.
The direct air link will operate on Tuesdays and will run until 8 September. 11 flights are scheduled, representing an additional 1,980 arrival seats to the archipelago.
The objective is to attract new airlines throughout the year, open new European source markets that currently lack connections to the Azores, and strengthen the region's tourism competitiveness.
Canada and Austria are the main drivers of this expansion. With 30 routes and 16 airlines, the archipelago aims to consolidate itself as a year-round destination.
Fog over the last few days in the Azores has forced the cancellation of 175 flights. 17,000 passengers have been affected by SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines alone.
Dozens of flights were cancelled by TAP, Azores Airlines, and SATA in the Azores today as a result of heavy fog.
According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, all islands are generally experiencing very cloudy skies.
In total, the carrier adds, there are “about 350 additional flights for the season as a whole”.
Civil aviation fuel that arrived at Terceira failed Galp's quality and safety tests. Airlines have activated contingency plans and ensure that operations are guaranteed.
