Summary:
Regional flights between Bragança and Portimão to resume on February 19
Sevenair announces reconnection of northern and southern Portugal
Service suspended since September 30 due to financial issues
Government paid approximately €3.8 million debt to the airline
Sevenair continues as the sole operator for the next four years
Regional Flights Resuming
The regional air service connecting Bragança to Portimão, with stops in Vila Real, Viseu, and Cascais, will resume on February 19. This announcement was made by the concessionaire company, Sevenair, on Wednesday.
"We will fly together again and connect Portugal from north to south. Starting February 19, we will resume the regional air connection between Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Cascais, and Portimão," the company stated in a social media post.
The air service had been suspended on September 30, coinciding with the end of the last direct adjustment to Sevenair, while awaiting the outcome of an international public tender to extend the concession for another four years.
In September, the airline announced that services would halt until the payment from the government was received, citing a "cash flow squeeze". Prior to this, the number of daily flights had already been reduced in February. The government has since paid about half of the €3.8 million debt owed to the company.
Throughout the concession period until the service's suspension, there were two direct adjustments, first with the socialist government and then with the current government led by Luís Montenegro. The public tender results were announced at the end of 2024, with Sevenair, the sole competitor and service provider since 2009, selected to continue operations for the next four years.
In January, the Ministry of Infrastructure assured that efforts were ongoing to resume the regional air service connecting Trás-os-Montes to the Algarve.
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