“The company had committed to paying the holiday subsidy, which was supposed to be paid on July 18. However, we have verified through our members that this payment has not been made,” said the president of SNPVAC, speaking to the Lusa agency.
Ricardo Penarróias told Lusa that the SNPVAC questioned the company about the debt payment, with SATA assuring that the situation would be settled “at the beginning of next week.”
According to Ricardo Penarróias, the issue extends beyond the cabin crew of Azores Airlines and affects the SATA group, particularly SATA Air Açores, which operates flights between the nine islands of the Azores.
“We are aware of the company’s current difficult situation. That’s why we did not immediately file a complaint with the ACT (Labor Conditions Authority) or take legal action on July 2. We are now waiting,” stated the union leader.
“There are legal procedures, such as complaints to the ACT, and legal action if the crew member decides to do so. We want the situation resolved and not to become a standard,” the SNPVAC president said, lamenting “the lack of communication” from SATA to its workers.
“We consider this non-compliance a disrespect to all workers who patiently waited for the company to pay what is rightfully theirs and which may have even impacted their planned vacation periods,” reads a SNPVAC statement.
If the situation is not resolved by the beginning of next week, the SNPVAC leadership “will instruct the legal department to initiate the legal procedures provided by law.”
The two airlines in the SATA group, Azores Airlines and Sata Air Açores, closed 2024 with a cumulative loss of 82.8 million euros, more than double the previous year, according to data released by the company in June.
In a statement, SATA revealed that last year, Sata International – Azores Airlines (which operates to and from outside the archipelago) recorded a net negative result of 71.2 million euros, compared to a loss of 26.08 million euros in 2023.
Sata Air Açores (responsible for inter-island connections) reported a net negative result of 11.6 million euros in 2024, against a loss of 9.97 million the previous year.
The cumulative loss of the two companies totaled 82.8 million euros last year, more than double the 36 million reported in 2023.
The group stated at the time that “the accounts also reflected extraordinary factors, some of which will not be repeated in 2025.”
These included “additional costs due to adverse weather conditions affecting operations and the inability of airport and hotel infrastructure to accommodate the increased activity,” as well as “personnel costs due to commitments made under new company agreements.”
The group also noted “maintenance costs and provisions due to the unfavorable outcome of the legal process between Azores Airlines and Hifly related to contractual charges with an A330 aircraft, known as ‘Cachalote,’ with cumulative impacts exceeding 30 million.”
The SATA board of directors intends to implement 41 measures, most of which are “already in execution,” to generate “a financial impact of 65 million euros.”
