The SPAC has announced a “historic agreement” with the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium amid negotiations for the privatization of Azores Airlines, aiming to “ensure the future” of the Azorean airline.
“This significant outcome represents a clear mandate for the final drafting of the regulatory instrument and reaffirms the pilots’ confidence in their union structure,” the statement said.
The agreement reached “ensures complete protection of jobs and the inviolability of base salary and pilots’ per diems.”
The statement also outlines “strictly temporary measures, with defined deadlines, objective targets, and joint monitoring and auditing mechanisms under SPAC’s supervision, ensuring transparency and control throughout all execution phases.”
The result achieved is “the fruit of intense work, negotiation discipline, and professionalism on the part of SPAC and its members, who managed to present credible solutions within a complex and demanding process.”
“The pilots did everything in their power to build solutions and will not accept blame for any potential failure of the process,” said SPAC Vice President Frederico Saraiva de Almeida in the statement.
The union also emphasized the constructive and cooperative approach of the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium, whose transparent attitude was crucial for establishing a climate of mutual trust and building a balanced and sustainable solution.
“We worked with rigor, transparency, and a sense of responsibility. The agreement provides predictability to the company and protects the professional dignity of the pilots,” Frederico Saraiva de Almeida added.
According to SPAC, the final version of the agreement will include “binding legal mechanisms” applicable to the future board of directors, “ensuring full implementation of what has been negotiated.”
Three essential steps now follow: the drafting and formal approval of the regulatory instrument, definition of schedules, metrics, and reporting mechanisms, and the establishment of the SPAC/consortium Monitoring Committee for continuous oversight and course corrections.
SPAC urges the remaining parties involved in the privatization process of Azores Airlines to “maintain the same spirit of commitment and dedication, ensuring the completion of the process in the best interest of the company, workers, and the Autonomous Region of the Azores.”
Finally, it reaffirms that it “cannot be held responsible for any adverse outcomes resulting from decisions beyond its control.”
The SPAC’s position comes as negotiations continue for the privatization of Azores Airlines, a subsidiary of the SATA group operating routes from the Azores to international destinations, with the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium. The Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) has indicated the possibility of direct negotiations or the company’s closure if no agreement is reached.
On October 31, the Regional Government announced that the chairman of the privatization tender jury had extended the deadline for the consortium to submit a “firm proposal” to this Monday.
In June 2022, the European Commission approved a Portuguese state aid package to support the airline’s restructuring, amounting to 453.25 million euros in loans and state guarantees, including measures such as corporate restructuring and divestment of a controlling stake (51%).
