The airline reported in a statement that, by 7:00 PM local time today (one hour later in Lisbon), “73 inter-island flights were operated, of which 15 were extraordinary flights added to today’s schedule, in response to the 42 cancellations recorded yesterday [Friday] due to the strike by the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera workers.”
The company “ensured the transport of around two thousand passengers, distributed between regular and extraordinary flights.”
“Between 7:00 PM [local time] and the end of the day today – extending into the early hours of the morning – the remaining operations are planned, with the aim of accommodating about 700 more passengers,” it stated.
Approximately 300 remaining passengers, out of a total of about three thousand affected by the situation, will be transported on flights scheduled for Sunday.
SATA Air Açores (responsible for inter-island connections) clarified today that the cancellation of various flights, due to the strike carried out on Friday by IPMA workers, “severely compromised mobility in the Azores archipelago.”
“The airline was caught off guard by the non-compliance with the minimum services agreement, which caused serious disruptions in operations as it compromised essential public service obligations,” it stated in a press release.
The administration of the SATA group also reiterated its intention to “seek compensation for the damages caused by the strike and the non-compliance with the minimum services.”
On August 8, according to the company, “the presidency of the IPMA confirmed to the administration of the SATA group that compliance with minimum services was assured, but this did not occur.”
“The situation is particularly serious not only because of the non-compliance but also because it prevented the company from taking appropriate preventive measures, as the IPMA did not inform in a timely manner that the minimum services would not actually be met,” it said.
SATA Air Açores also regretted the inconveniences caused to its passengers and assured that “it continues to make every effort to minimize the impacts” of the situation.
