SATA Air Azores has renewed its fleet with the acquisition of a number of new aircraft units. The fleet renewal project has been just completed with the farewell fligh of the last ATP  “Flores” last week.

The aircraft “Flores” made its maiden flight for SATA Air Azores in 1990 and ended its flying career for the company on May 28, 2010, after 26,297.28 flight hours and 51,287 landings. On its farewell flight, “Flores” departed from Ponta Delgada, on November 5, on a direct flight to Malmoe, Sweden, where it will be now operated by WESTAIR.  This was the first time in the history of the SATA Group, that a plane from SATA Air Azores was operated by a woman pilot who flew the aircraft as the co-pilot.

 SATA Air Azores began its present fleet renovation program in 2009, with the arrival of its first Bombardier Q200. In June 2009, the Bombardier Q200 began flying over the skies of the Azores as a training aircraft.

In March of the same year, SATA Air Azores acquired its first Bombardier Q400, followed by the acquisition of additional Bombardier Q400 aircraft units. The fleet renewal was completed by April of 2010.

Operation Winter

Starting November 15, SATA Group announced its “Operation Winter” which will increase the current flight and cargo capacity between the islands of the Azores.

Operation Winter will be the first step forward, says the announcement, after SATA’s acquisition of several new Bombardier aircraft units.

The largest increase in the number of flights will be the route between Ponta Delgada – Angra do Heroismo, with 32 flights a week, offering four thousand seats. To Faial, SATA Air Azores anticipates nine weekly flights from Ponta Delgada and 11 from the island of Terceira, with 1,134 seats and 1,352 seats respectively.

For Santa Maria, SATA Air Azores will offer nine weekly flights with a seating capacity of 1,440 passengers. Pico will make direct weekly connections with the airport of Ponta Delgada with 320 seats and seven flights per week to Angra do Heroismo, corresponding to a total of 1,200 seats.

For the S. Jorge / Terceira / S. Jorge route, SATA Air Azores will provide nine flights a week, with 1,236 seats.

For the Graciosa/ Terceira / Graciosa route, SATA will provide eight flights a week with an offer of 1,178 seats.

For its five weekly flights between the Terceira and Flores, SATA will provide a weekly supply of 320 seats.

For the five weekly flighs between Terceira and Faial islands, SATA will offer a weekly total of 669 seats.

SATA will also fly twice weekly between Corvo and Flores islands, offering a total of 87 seats and  will fly three times a week between the Corvo and Horta (one with a stop in Flores) offering a total of 145 seats for this route.

paj/cm