On Sunday, March 15, the airline, in cooperation with Air Broker EmptyLeg and operator Soltour, mounted a lightning strike to repatriate 110 passengers who were stranded in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The flight left Lisbon at 5:05 p.m. (local time) and landed in Punta Cana at 8:05 p.m. (local time), having returned to the Portuguese capital at 7:45 a.m. the following day.
According to the words of Licélia Ferreira, commercial director of Air Broker Empty Leg, it was an air operation set up in record time and without flaws. Empty Leg's commercial director referred in a note of thanks sent to the airline for its "competence, anticipation, and extraordinary capacity for fast and efficient resolution."
The second repatriation flight took place yesterday, March 17, between Terceira Island and the city of Toronto, and aimed at the repatriation of Canadian and American passengers who were stranded on Terceira Island.
It took off from Lajes at 4:05 p.m. (local time) and arrived in Toronto at 6:40 p.m. (Toronto time), 11:40 p.m. in the Azores.
As Luis Nunes, General Manager of InovTravel explained, "passengers had begun their journey before restrictions were imposed on flights to the Autonomous Region of the Azores."
According to him, this extraordinary repatriation flight was requested from Azores Airlines, since 130 Canadians and 15 Americans had no alternative but to return home.
The repatriation of these passengers, of Canadian and American nationality, was considered by the Azorean airline as a force majeure, considering the circumstances in which we find ourselves.
"SATA did very well and obtained specific authorizations to operate this flight in record time, both from the Canadian authorities and from the Regional Government of the Azores, which promptly responded to the urgency of repatriation," said InovTravel's General Manager to the media. "With this extraordinary flight, a potentially very critical situation was effectively resolved. With this measure, we were able to avoid potential impacts on the safety and well-being of the Azoreans and our clients. There was a quick and muscular response from all involved.", he concluded.
Azores Airlines, in the last few days, has reprogrammed its entire air operation to deal with the contingency situation in which the country and, in particular, the Autonomous Region of the Azores find itself.
From a commercial point of view, it has sought solutions that can ease the inconvenience felt by its passengers, clients, and partners. From an operational point of view, and as a complement to SATA Air Açores, it has sought to redesign the air transport service to the Archipelago of the Azores and between the Azorean islands to ensure the necessary territorial continuity, guarantee the mobility of the Azoreans and meet the needs that arise at any given moment.