The Sociedade Açoreana de Estudos Aéreos, Lda. was established on August 21, 1941, in Ponta Delgada and the company’s partners were José Bensaúde, Augusto d’Athaide Corte Real Soares de Albergaria, Albano de Freitas da Silva Oliveira, Augusto Rebelo Arruda and Bensaúde e Companhia Lda., represented by António de Medeiros e Almeida.
Its mission was, as it is today, to serve the people of the Azores, to break their isolation and to shorten the distance between the islands of the archipelago and between the islands and the rest of the world. This was the desire of five illustrious micaelenses (residents of S. Miguel island) that took up the challenge of developing this project at a time when Europe was dealing with the Second World War.
In 1947, the Sociedade de Estudos Aéreos changed its commercial name to Sociedade Açoreana de Transportes Aéreos Lda. (SATA), since the study that originated its creation was concluded; the Portuguese government had granted to SATA the provisional concession of the air connections between the islands of São Miguel, Santa Maria, and Terceira; the current international conditions that, with the end of the World War, allowed the execution of such endeavor; and the cession, in 1946, of the infrastructure located on Santa Maria to the Portuguese Government for civil exploitation. The partners nominated Dr. Augusto Arruda as the SATA delegate manager; the head office was established on Rua dos Mercadores, 7-11 and the first aircraft was acquired, a Beechcraft UC-45B Expeditor.
The Azores would have its own airline, the oldest airline in the country still in operation and implemented to serve the unity and the economic development of all the people in the Azores.
History
1941
THE AZOREAN SOCIETY OF AIR STUDIES IS BORN
Named "Sociedade Açoreana de Estudos Aéreos Lda." (Azorean Society of Air Studies), based in Ponta Delgada, on São Miguel island.
1947
NEW COMMERCIAL NAME AND FIRST AIRCRAFT
SATA takes the commercial name of "Sociedade Açoreana de Transportes Aéreos Lda." (Azorean Society of Air Transportation) and starts operations with a Beechcraft UC-45B Expeditor (CS-TAA), named "Açor".
Unfortunately, on August 5 of the same year, SATA experienced one of the saddest and most difficult moments in its history when the Beechcraft Açor crashed when approaching Santa Maria. Four passengers and two crew members were on board. The accident was fatal. Despite the challenging air operation (often challenging, given the weather conditions in the Azores), SATA survived the enormous setback that represented the loss of its only plane.
1948
The company's activity, briefly interrupted after the tragic accident with the Beechcraft, is resumed with the acquisition of two DOVE. The Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd manufactured these aircraft.
1952
HANDLING SERVICES PROVIDED TO OTHERS
It is the beginning of the handling services at Santa Maria airport.
1958
SATA HELPS VOLCANO VICTIMS
SATA comes to aid victims of the Capelinhos Volcano on Faial Island, who were relocated to the United States. SATA transports them to Santa Maria and Terceira Air Base at Lajes. For this effort, SATA partnered with Pan American Airways, who flew the victims from Lajes to the U.S., departing from Lajes Air Base, using DC-6B planes from the North American company.
1959
PURCHASE OF TWA INFRASTRUCTURE IN SANTA MARIA
With plans to expand its services, SATA acquires the Trans World Airways equipment at Santa Maria Airport. It then merged its land services (workers and equipment) with Pan Am’s at the same airport.
1960
SATA STARTS PUBLIC AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE
SATA is assigned with the Public Service of Air Transport of passengers and cargo to ensure the regular operation of inter-island air operations in the Azores.
1963
SATA TAKES DELIVERY OF ITS FIRST DC-3 DAKOTA
SATA’s first DC-3 is acquired from Aer Lingus.
1967
SATA OPERATES WITH THE FIRST AVRO HS-748
The airline expands its fleet and acquires equipment with greater capacity to meet the growing demand. From this date until 1969, the airline operated with DOVE, DAKOTA, and AVRO.
1968
FIRST FLIGHT ATTENDANTS
SATA's Azorean spirit of service took off to the skies in 1968, as flights started featuring helpful and friendly attendants.
1976
SATA HANDLES THE CONCORDE
The most advanced aircraft in civil aviation - the Concorde - starts service between Paris and N.Y.C. via Santa Maria. SATA provides all ground services.
1977
SATA REACHED THE 1 MILLION MARK
More and more people fly with SATA. SATA welcomes its one-millionth passenger aboard.
1980
SATA BECAME A PUBLIC COMPANY OWNED BY THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THE AZORES
SATA S.A.R.L is extinguished, and the Public Company of Air transport Services – SATA. E.P. is created with legal and administrative personality and financial autonomy subjected to tutelary intervention.
1985
SATA IS REPRESENTED IN THE USA AND CANADA
The two SATA members - Azores Express and Atlantida Express - were created to operate charter flights to the U.S.A. and Canada.
1987
SATA BECOMES SATA AIR AÇORES
A SATA changes its name to SATA Air Açores and wins a silver medal for services provided. The airline received the Tourism Merit Award from the Portuguese Tourism Authority.
1989
THE ATP LAND IN THE AZORES
SATA acquires its first Bae ATP.
1990
CHANGE AND EXPANSION
SATA bids farewell to its AVRO (HS-748), after two decades of service; joins the International Air Transport Association – IATA and the European Regional Airlines Association – E.R.A.; acquires the offices of Canadian Pacific Airlines in Lisbon; and two more ATPs join the fleet.
1993
SATA AIR AÇORES ACQUIRES DORNIER D228
Dornier DO228 equipment is acquired to better serve air connections to the nine islands of the Archipelago. The equipment starts to serve routes to Corvo Island.
1994
SATA AIR AÇORES WINS THE MEDAL OF HONOR
The International Civil Aviation Organization awards a Medal of Honor to SATA Air Açores for the excellence of services provided.
1995
SATA CONTINUES TO GROW
SATA starts operating international charter flights with Boeing 737-300. The Boeing fleet grows until 1998, with two more Boeing 737-300.
1998
SATA RECEIVES AIR OPERATOR CERTIFICATE
SATA Internacional received its Air Operator Certificate that allows it to operate International routes from the Azores.
1999
SATA OPENS NEW ROUTES
SATA Internacional wins the bid to operate the public service routes between Ponta Delgada, Lisbon, Porto, and Funchal. SATA Internacional acquires its first A310-300s.
SATA AIR AÇORES EXPERIENCES A TRAGIC EVENT
The year 1999 ended with a tragic event, which mourned all Azoreans: the SATA Air Açores accident, on December 13, 1999.
2000
FLIGHTS TO NORTH AMERICA
SATA starts operating regular flights to the United States and Canada, building a lasting bridge to the Azorean communities in those countries.
2005
SATA STARTS AERODROME MANAGEMENT
SATA Group launches SATA Gestão de Aeródromos to manage and maintain four of the nine regional airports in the Azores and the Flores island terminal.
2007
SATA INCREASES ITS ACTIVITY
SATA Air Açores adds a new British Aerospace ATP to its fleet and SATA Internacional adds another Airbus A310-300.
2009
FLEET RENEWAL
The first new Bombardier Q200 joins the fleet of SATA Air Açores; the Dornier DO228 is retired; a new Airbus A320 is delivered. SATA now operates Bombardier Q200, Bae ATP, Airbus A320 and Airbus A310 aircraft.
2010
SATA AIR AÇORES RECEIVES ITS FIRST Q400 NEXTGEN
SATA Air Açores receives, in Toronto, the new Q400 NextGen in a ceremony held at the Bombardier headquarters. The airline continues with the full renovation program of its fleet. During the month of March of the same year, SATA Air Açores receives three new Bombardier Q400 NextGen.
FINAL PHASE OF FLEET RENEWAL
On November 5, the process of renewing SATA Air Açores’ fleet came to an end with the phasing out of the last Bae ATP aircraft, “Flores”, registration CS-TGN.
GRUPO SATA PIONEER AT NATIONAL LEVEL IN LAUNCHING MOBILE CHECK-IN AND MOBILE BOARDING PASS
SATA Group presents another innovation in the check-in process for SATA Internacional and SATA Air Açores flights.
2012
SATA AIR AÇORES AWARDED “2011/2012 BRONZE AIRLINE OF THE YEAR”
SATA Air Açores receives the E.R.A. Bronze Airline of the Year prize. This award, received for the first time in the history of the airline, recognizes the work developed by all its employees following the process of renovation of the British Aerospace ATP fleet and highlights the benefits that the 400.000 passengers annually carried by SATA Air Açores experience and feel flying on the Bombardier Q200 and Q400 NextGen.
SATA recebe, pela terceira vez, prémio internacional “Agility Award”.
SATA receives the international "Agility Award" for the third time.
INTEGRATED HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS RECEIVE APCER CERTIFICATION
SATA is the first Portuguese airline to obtain this qualification.
2013
SATA AWARDED APCER CERTIFICATION
The Quality Management System of SATA Gestão de Aeródromos (Aerodrome Management) was awarded the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). For SATA, obtaining this certification represents a tool which aims for a service based on efficiency, quality, and excellence.
2014
SATA BRAND AWARDED WITH INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD
The Platinum A' Design Award distinguishes projects that have reached the level of excellence in design.
SATA has its image based on the graphic element B.I.A. distinguished, a local-bird symbol of the Atlantic sky that represents the union of the nine islands of the Azores.
This competition involved 78 countries, 74 categories and an international jury of 50 design experts.
2015
SATA INTERNACIONAL FLIES UNDER THE AZORES AIRLINES BRAND NAME
The airline flies under a new brand name that considers the commercial need to strengthen its positioning over the Azores destination. The word "Azores" will be a reference in all Azores Airlines' communication.
2016
AZORES AIRLINES DISTINGUISHED AS ONE OF THE 20 MOST ATTRACTIVE COMPANIES TO WORK IN PORTUGAL.
AZORES AIRLINES RECEIVES AN AIRBUS A330-223, BLESSED WITH THE NAME OF CIPRIÃO DE FIGUEIREDO
The new A330 was blessed on March 23 with the name of Ciprião de Figueiredo, an important historical figure and author of the famous saying: "Rather dying free than living in threatened peace ", adopted as the motto of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, had the internationally recognized Luso-Canadian Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, Nelly Furtado, as godmother.
2018
FLEET RENEWAL
Azores Airlines receives the new Airbus A321neo and customizes its fuselages with words that intend to honour the Azores' destination. "Breathe", "Wonder", and "Dream" are a glimpse of what you can feel when you land on the Archipelago.
AIRBUS A310-300 SAYS GOODBYE TO SATA INTERNACIONAL - AZORES AIRLINES FLEET
With its last flight on November 2018, SATA Internacional - Azores Airlines says goodbye to the Airbus A310-300, an equipment that marked its history.
2019
THE NEW A321LR JOINS THE FLEET
Azores Airlines receives the brand-new Airbus A321LR, with the latest technological innovation, more autonomy, and greater energy efficiency. The CS-TSH arrives in May and starts a new era for the airline, considering the efficiency of these state-of-the-art aircraft. It carries the name "Magical" on its fuselage.
2020
THE PANDEMIC IS EVERYWHERE. SATA GROUP' S AIRLINES ARE ASKED TO STOP FLYING
For three months, the activity stopped its usual course. All efforts were made to serve the Autonomous Region of the Azores in the best possible way. Under the circumstances, cargo, humanitarian, and special air operations were carried out.
At the end of this year, the first Airbus A321 LR neo unit arrives, with a better range offering efficiency and silence trips.
ANOTHER AIRBUS A321 LR UNIT ARRIVES
In November 2020, another Airbus A321LR unit with registration CS-TSI and named "Inspire" joins the fleet. Within a year, another unit will arrive in November, presenting the suggestive name of Peaceful in the fuselage.
2021
THE YEAR OF RECORDS
It was the year in which we set two records. The longest distance ever recorded in an Airbus A321 LR with a flight between Oakland and Colombia, and the most extended flight duration ever made with this type of equipment, on a flight between Lisbon and Bocotá, Colombia. An achievement recognized and celebrated by the manufacturer Airbus. It was also the year that Azores Airlines, with the efforts of so many, achieved an unexpected result, carrying almost as many passengers as in 2019, the pre-pandemic year. 2020 will go down in history as the year of the pandemic that seriously threatened the aviation sector. But 2021 will be marked as a year of remarkable recovery at the SATA Group. Passengers started to travel again, and the service exceeded all expectations. This is a good omen for the year 2022.
2022
AZORES AIRLINES REACHES THE HISTORIC MARK OF 1 MILLION PASSENGERS TRANSPORTED IN A SINGLE YEAR
Azores Airlines surpassed the historic mark of 1 million passengers transported in a single year. Together, the two airlines SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines exceeded the number of passengers transported in 2019, pre-pandemic year of Covid-19 which represented an exemplary recovery considering the difficulties experienced in the air transport sector. It was also in 2022 that Azores Airlines became a member of ERA (European Regions Airline Association).
SATA AIR AÇORES REINFORCED THE FLEET WITH ANOTHER BOMBARDIER Q400 UNIT
It was also in 2022 that SATA Air Açores received the fifth Bombardier Q400 unit (CS-TSE), to cope with the increase in traffic recorded in the Azores Archipelago, in the year in which it celebrates 75 years of commercial activity.