IATA SUMMER OPERATION 2026
MISSION AZORES: SATA INCREASES FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE REGION AND MAINLAND PORTUGAL
The SATA Group airlines today presented their flight schedule for the IATA 2026 summer, focused primarily on strengthening connections between mainland Portugal and the Azores. The operation also maintains consistent connections to North America. The plan prioritizes the efficient use of resources, ensuring sustainable operations based on complementarity between Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores. Together, the two airlines will operate more than 800 flights per week to and from the Azores archipelago.
The summer operation is characterized by an increase in frequencies on the Lisbon–Ponta Delgada, Lisbon–Terceira, and Porto–Ponta Delgada routes. To concentrate capacity on the most popular routes, the Group will not resume routes that have performed less well, directing resources to the domestic market. Regarding inter-island connections, the offer will be like that of summer 2025, with occasional reinforcements on routes that traditionally have occupancy rates of over 90%.
The president of SATA Holding, Tiago Santos, emphasizes:
"The operation for summer 2026 reflects an unwavering commitment to the Azores and its diaspora. By strengthening domestic connections, ensuring connectivity with North America, and optimizing the use of our fleet, we are building a more sustainable operation focused on what is most important: serving the Azoreans and ensuring accessibility and mobility in the archipelago."
SUMMER 2026 OPERATION — AZORES AIRLINES
Between March 29 and October 31, Azores Airlines plans to operate almost 270 weekly flights to and from the Azores, on a network of twenty routes and with a fleet of nine aircraft. Around 75% of capacity will be dedicated to the domestic market, reinforcing the company's role as the only carrier connecting Lisbon, Porto, and Faro directly to the Azores.
The increase in demand that has been observed and is expected to continue justifies the reinforcement of the following routes:
- Lisbon–Ponta Delgada (+1)
- Lisbon–Terceira (+2)
- Ponta Delgada–Porto (+3)
The Ponta Delgada–Milan and Ponta Delgada–Bilbao routes will not be resumed.
Domestic operations, which include liberalized routes, public service obligation routes (Lisbon–Pico and Lisbon–Faial), Ponta Delgada–Funchal, and the new Terceira–Funchal route (awaiting confirmation), will represent around 100 frequencies/rotations or 200 flights per week.
North America remains a strategic market. Azores Airlines plans more than 25 frequencies/rotations or 50 weekly flights to Boston, Toronto, New York, and Montreal. The connection between the Azores and Cape Verde (Praia) will also be maintained, providing additional connectivity to Boston.
In the European market, the annual routes to Paris and Barcelona will continue in the summer. The Frankfurt route, which is seasonal, will resume in summer.
SUMMER 2026 OPERATION — SATA AIR AÇORES
SATA Air Açores plans to operate around 572 inter-island flights per week, covering sixteen routes with a fleet of seven aircraft. There will be additional flights on the Ponta Delgada–Terceira, Ponta Delgada–Pico, Ponta Delgada–Horta, and Ponta Delgada–Flores routes due to the high occupancy rates recorded in 2025, especially between June and September.
As in the previous year, operations may be temporarily reinforced during periods of peak demand, particularly during regional festivities.
The joint planning of Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores integrates public service obligations, liberalized routes, and national and international destinations that converge in the Azores. The coordination of schedules between the two operations is a priority, allowing those arriving in the archipelago through the various entry points to continue their journey to any island with reduced connection times. The complementarity between the two companies remains a strategic objective of the Group.
The summer program is now available for booking. Some additional reinforcements may still depend on the allocation of slots, with no impact on the announced routes, although they may influence the final number of additional frequencies. There are no plans to hire ACMI* at this stage. SATA Air Açores plans to integrate an additional Bombardier Q400 aircraft from June.
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Slots* Rights granted to an airline to take off or land at an airport at a specific time.
ACMI Type of aircraft lease that includes the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance.
IATA Summer 2026: The official summer aviation period defined by IATA for 2026, running from March 29 to October 24, 2026.