The SATA group has announced that a total of 194 inter-island flights will be conducted between midnight on Friday and 11:59 PM on July 24, with 32 flights scheduled on both Friday and the 21st.
The Arbitration Tribunal also ordered the operation of 28 flights on the 23rd, 26 flights each on July 20, 22, and 24, and 24 flights on the 19th.
“The Arbitration Tribunal determined the operation of flights required for critical safety reasons for people and goods, as well as a sufficient number of air connections to ensure at least one daily connection to each island, along with a set of additional flights to guarantee mobility in the Azores archipelago,” stated the Azorean airline.
SATA Air Açores serves as the sole means of transportation between some islands in the archipelago. The Arbitration Tribunal of the Economic and Social Council of the Azores noted in its considerations the immobilization period resulting from the strike, which spans seven consecutive days and “involves an essential labor component for conducting the flights,” during the high tourist season.
The Arbitration Tribunal also considered the scheduling of reservations “at the rate of 4,500 passengers per day, with a potential daily mobility of 5,000 passengers (…), totaling a potential of 35,000 passengers during the strike.”
The tribunal highlighted “the public and notorious economic and financial crisis of the employer” and the implications of the seven-day strike, including “compensation for mobility restrictions, exacerbated by the insurmountable lack of physical accommodations” on the archipelago for passengers who might be stranded at regional airports due to the strike, and the resulting social disruption.
In its communiqué, the airline mentioned that despite “conciliation efforts,” the strike notice issued by the National Union of Civil Aviation Workers (SINTAC) for SATA Air Açores cabin crew remains, and the airline is committed to making “all efforts to minimize the impact” of the strike on its customers and partners.
SATA group explained that involuntary changes to dates outside the strike period will be allowed without penalties or fare differences.
For voluntary cancellations, a refund will be provided to passengers who opt to cancel their trip, regardless of the fare type and without penalties.
Given “the high hotel occupancy rates in the Azores during July,” SATA Air Açores may not be able to guarantee accommodation for all passengers affected by the strike. In such cases, a guidance document with eligible amounts and reimbursement procedures for expenses incurred directly by the passengers will be provided locally.
SATA Air Açores expresses “deep regrets for the inconvenience caused and appreciates the understanding and cooperation of all during the strike period,” stated the airline.
Information regarding the decreed minimum services will be available on the airline’s website.
SATA Air Açores cabin crew will be on strike from July 18 to 24, demanding higher wages and better working conditions aboard the aircraft.
On Tuesday, SINTAC called on Azorean politicians to treat the airline SATA and its workers with “the respect they deserve” following reports that “many suggest it could close.”
