Azores Airlines has already started direct flights between the Italian city of Milan and the city of Ponta Delgada (Azores) with the inaugural flight operated by the Airbus A321 LR, “Peaceful” which departed Ponta Delgada at 07:30 am (local time) and returned to Ponta Delgada at 04:50 pm (local time).
The completion of this connection is the culmination of a process to which the airline and promotion agents have been strongly committed. Milan represents a relevant destination from the point of view of traffic confluence and attracting new tourist flows. Milan Malpensa Airport is the second-largest airport in Italy in terms of passenger traffic, serves one of the largest metropolitan areas in the European Union, and represents the fifth source of tourists for the Azores Archipelago.
The Azores is a charming mid-Atlantic destination, and Italian tourists have shown interest in exploring its natural wonders. According to a study carried out by IPDT - Turismo e Consultoria, tourists who visit the Azores demonstrate a high level of satisfaction and intention to recommend the destination. Tourism of Portugal registered a significant number of Italian guests in the archipelago, with 26 thousand guests in 2023 and a total of 72 thousand overnight stays. This direct flight represents the most comfortable and quickest way to reach the Azores.
To celebrate the start of these direct operations, Milan-Malpensa Airport prepared a symbolic action to mark the beginning of the route, which included the traditional ribbon cutting and the sharing of a cake commemorating the moment. An equally warm welcome was prepared at Aeroporto João Paulo II, in Ponta Delgada, offering passengers souvenirs of the destination, an action promoted by Visit Azores, where there was no shortage of iconic photos with the crew and individualities.
According to Graça Silva, Director of Sales, Marketing and Communication at the SATA Group, “This will be another winning bet. With this operation, Azores Airlines continues to consolidate the commercial bets it has been making on the European continent. Although we are at the start of the operation, the demand recorded so far already allows us to envisage a very good summer operation, where we will rely on this investment in a market with great growth potential.”
The schedule of this operation also allows a technical stopover in the Azores for a connection to the city of Boston, a reference destination in North America. But passengers can also choose the StopOver Azores option, which allows an intermediate stop of up to seven days before continuing their journey to the final destination.
Bookings can be made through SATA Azores Airlines’ sales channels (Contact Center, website, sales offices), as well as through travel agencies.