Azores Airlines was traveler’s first choice to fly to the archipelago during the peak season of 2023. Passengers were satisfied with the quality and cost of air transportation in the Azores, with 64.57% of the sample expressing a high level of satisfaction with the destination, in general. These data were published in the report on the satisfaction of tourists who visited the Azores in the 2023 high season, recently published by the Azores Tourism Observatory.
“We are very pleased to see Azores Airlines standing out as the most popular airline when it comes to organizing a trip to the Azores. It's a position that really means a lot to us, and it's a reward for all the work we've done to meet the demands of travelers who visit the archipelago. SATA Group airlines are the reference when it comes to travel to and within the Azores and this survey tells us that passengers are satisfied with the service we have been providing,” states Teresa Gonçalves, President of the SATA Group.
In 2023, Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores were responsible for carrying 2.4 million passengers, which represented a growth of 25% compared to 2022. Azores Airlines, the airline that ensures air connections outside the archipelago, carried 1.4 million passengers, 34% more compared to the previous year, and 52% more compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Azores Airlines is the airline that offers the most services to the Azores, connecting the Azores Archipelago to North America, Europe (including Mainland Portugal and the Madeira Archipelago), and to the Cape Verde Archipelago. This year, it will add new routes, such as Ponta Delgada/Milan/Ponta Delgada, Ponta Delgada/London/Ponta Delgada, and domestic routes, like Ponta Delgada/Faro/Ponta Delgada, which will make it easier to fly to the Archipelago as well as to connect Europe and North America.
SATA Group airlines play a fundamental role in promoting and developing tourism in the Azores. They guarantee connectivity to the archipelago, and their operations complement each other to provide a diverse destination experience that enables passengers to explore multiple islands in a brief period of time, in a well-organized and comfortable manner. Year after year, the airlines have responded to demand with an increase in seats offered, which has resulted in consistent growth in the number of passengers.