Chega Questions Costs of Azores Airlines' Pilot Base in Lisbon: Is It Time for a Change?

Chega's Inquiry into Costs

The Chega/Açores party has raised questions to the Regional Government regarding the costs associated with maintaining the Azores Airlines pilot base in Lisbon. They suggest that relocating the base to the archipelago could lead to significant savings.

In a formal request submitted to the coalition government of PSD/CDS-PP/PPM through the Regional Legislative Assembly, the party demands a detailed report on the monthly and annual costs associated with the Lisbon base and the positioning flights for pilots of the Azores airline.

Potential Savings

The five parliamentarians from Chega pointedly ask, “Is the Regional Government considering moving the Azores Airlines base from Lisbon?”, suggesting that “thousands of euros could be saved with this move.”

The party's statement highlights that pilots often have to fly on positioning flights from Lisbon to the operational base in the Azores, which means these seats are filled without any financial return for the airline.

Operational Challenges

Moreover, the fact that the pilot base is located two hours away from the main operational base has implications for pilot rest periods. This distance could lead to a reduction in the number of available pilots, consequently affecting the number of longer domestic flights.

Financial Implications for SATA

José Pacheco, the parliamentary leader of Chega/Açores, believes this situation may worsen the financial state of the SATA group. Thus, the party is questioning the Regional Government, the majority shareholder of the company, about the rationale behind maintaining the pilot base in Lisbon.

Recently, Chega also presented a resolution in the regional plenary in Horta, urging the Regional Government to intervene with SATA International – Azores Airlines to consider relocating its base to the archipelago. However, this proposal was rejected by a majority.

The party argued that relocating the base would not only increase the number of regular flights to and from the Azores but also help in containing the airline's expenses.

The SATA aviation group includes Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores, operating a network of regular routes (regional, national, and international).