SATA Azores Cuts Some North American Routes
SATA Azores Airlines is streamlining its North American network for the summer season, discontinuing several routes introduced just last year. The carrier announced that its nonstop flights from Funchal, Madeira to Boston Logan International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Toronto Pearson International Airport will not resume this summer. Similarly, three routes from Porto Airport to these same destinations are being dropped. These changes come after the airline had launched five of the six routes during the summer of 2024, with the Funchal–New York service originally debuting in November 2021. The Porto routes had marked the airline’s return to transatlantic operations from mainland Portugal, following the suspension of Lisbon–Boston and Lisbon–Toronto services in October 2017.
While nonstop services are being discontinued, SATA Azores remains committed to serving the transatlantic market. The airline plans to offer one-stop flights from Funchal to New York and Toronto, routing passengers via Ponta Delgada, a key connection point in the Azores. Additionally, for travelers flying from Porto, one-stop connections to Boston and New York via Ponta Delgada will be available. These adjustments are part of the airline’s effort to focus on its core profitable routes while managing rising operational costs.
Other network changes for the upcoming summer include the suspension of flights from Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL) to Bermuda and London Gatwick Airport, as well as the Terceira–Oakland service, which is not scheduled to resume. On a more positive note, SATA Azores will increase frequencies on some routes: flights from Ponta Delgada to Faro will rise from three to four times weekly, and services from PDL to both Frankfurt and Milan Malpensa will be upgraded from twice to three times per week. These schedule enhancements will better meet demand on key routes, particularly those connecting the Azores with strong inbound tourist destinations in Europe.
In its financial results for the nine months to September 30, 2024, SATA Azores pointed to the challenges associated with its nonstop U.S. and Canada services from Funchal and Porto—services that were largely operated under an ACMI agreement—as “unsuitable commercial options” due to escalating costs. The effect was particularly pronounced in the third quarter of 2024, when increased capacity via oversized aircraft negatively impacted load factors. The airline reported an average load factor of 85.7% during Q3 2024, a 1.2-percentage point drop compared to the same period in 2023, while operating costs surged by €28.6 million ($29.3 million) year-on-year.
Looking ahead, SATA Azores Airlines confirmed that its revised operational strategy will focus on its core routes, especially those linking the Azores with mainland Portugal and major tourist markets such as France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. By concentrating on these high-demand destinations, the airline expects to enhance overall profitability while delivering a consistent and high-quality travel experience.
For airline network planners and travel industry professionals, SATA Azores’ network adjustments and focus on core routes signal an ongoing trend in route optimization amid rising fuel and operational costs across the transatlantic market.
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