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Azores Airlines
Azores Airlines, previously known as SATA Internacional, is a Portuguese airline based in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel in the autonomous archipelago of the Azores. A subsidiary of SATA Air Açores, the airline operates as the international arm of the regional network, connecting the archipelago intercontinentally from its hub at João Paulo II Airport to destinations in America and in Europe. The company operate flights as well from its base in Lisbon.
The airline was first established in March 1990 under the name of OceanAir and in 1995 was authorized to operate air transport services as a non-scheduled carrier. SATA Air Açores became the major shareholder when OceanAir suspended service in 1994. It later became the sole owner, and on 20 February 1998, it was re-branded as SATA Internacional, resuming operations on 8 April 1998. The airline became a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo SATA, which also operates SATA Air Açores.
Following its bid by public tender, SATA Internacional was awarded scheduled routes from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon, Madeira Island and Porto. SATA would later own two tour operators in North America: SATA Express in Canada and Azores Express in the United States.
In May 2009, SATA adopted a new brand image and a new logo which was applied to its first new Airbus A320-200, registered CS-TKO and named "Diáspora". The new scheme was adopted by both SATA Internacional and SATA Air Açores during the fleet upgrades beginning at the end of the 1990s and lasted until 2015.
In January 2015, the airline announced strategic plans to reduce its debts from €179 million to €40 million by 2020 by reducing its fleet and workforce. Under the plan it would also be renamed to Azores Airlines. In October 2015, SATA Internacional subsequently announced a major rebranding, including the name change to Azores Airlines and a change of the colour scheme from blue tones to green tones. At the same time, a fleet renewal with Airbus A330 aircraft had been announced. The first A330 commercial flight took place on 25 March 2016 from Ponta Delgada to Boston.
In September 2016, the airline announced a change of plans regarding its fleet renewal. While plans to phase in a second Airbus A330 were later cancelled, Azores Airlines ordered two Airbus A321neo aircraft on interim lease for 2017-2019 and four Airbus A321LR aircraft to be delivered in 2019 to replace the interim A321neo aircraft. The A310 fleet was fully retired in October 2018, after which the airline's fleet was composed entirely of narrowbody Airbus aircraft. In July 2019, the airline received its first Airbus A321LR. However, by the end of 2019 when the airline had been expected to return the A321neo aircraft, it had retained them instead.
In January 2021, an Airbus A321LR operating Azores Airlines Flight S46865 claimed the record for the longest commercial A321LR flight by duration, which operated as a charter from Lisbon to Bogotá in a time of 9 hours and 49 minutes. The airline surpassed the record previously set by Air Transat for its A321LR flight on 26 October 2020 from Montréal Trudeau to Athens, taking a duration of 8 hours and 20 minutes,[citation needed] but was later surpassed by TAP Air Portugal on 29 March 2021 with its A321LR flight from Maputo to Praia, for a flight duration of 10 hours and 7 minutes.[citation needed]
Azores Airlines operates scheduled domestic flights from the Azores to the Madeira Islands and mainland Portugal, and international flights from the Azores to destinations in Africa, Europe and North America, as well as charter flights. Regional flights within the Azores are operated by its parent company, SATA Air Açores.
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Azores Airlines
Azores Airlines, previously known as SATA Internacional, is a Portuguese airline based in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel in the autonomous archipelago of the Azores. A subsidiary of SATA Air Açores, the airline operates as the international arm of the regional network, connecting the archipelago intercontinentally from its hub at João Paulo II Airport to destinations in America and in Europe. The company operate flights as well from its base in Lisbon.
The airline was first established in March 1990 under the name of OceanAir and in 1995 was authorized to operate air transport services as a non-scheduled carrier. SATA Air Açores became the major shareholder when OceanAir suspended service in 1994. It later became the sole owner, and on 20 February 1998, it was re-branded as SATA Internacional, resuming operations on 8 April 1998. The airline became a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo SATA, which also operates SATA Air Açores.
Following its bid by public tender, SATA Internacional was awarded scheduled routes from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon, Madeira Island and Porto. SATA would later own two tour operators in North America: SATA Express in Canada and Azores Express in the United States.
In May 2009, SATA adopted a new brand image and a new logo which was applied to its first new Airbus A320-200, registered CS-TKO and named "Diáspora". The new scheme was adopted by both SATA Internacional and SATA Air Açores during the fleet upgrades beginning at the end of the 1990s and lasted until 2015.
In January 2015, the airline announced strategic plans to reduce its debts from €179 million to €40 million by 2020 by reducing its fleet and workforce. Under the plan it would also be renamed to Azores Airlines. In October 2015, SATA Internacional subsequently announced a major rebranding, including the name change to Azores Airlines and a change of the colour scheme from blue tones to green tones. At the same time, a fleet renewal with Airbus A330 aircraft had been announced. The first A330 commercial flight took place on 25 March 2016 from Ponta Delgada to Boston.
In September 2016, the airline announced a change of plans regarding its fleet renewal. While plans to phase in a second Airbus A330 were later cancelled, Azores Airlines ordered two Airbus A321neo aircraft on interim lease for 2017-2019 and four Airbus A321LR aircraft to be delivered in 2019 to replace the interim A321neo aircraft. The A310 fleet was fully retired in October 2018, after which the airline's fleet was composed entirely of narrowbody Airbus aircraft. In July 2019, the airline received its first Airbus A321LR. However, by the end of 2019 when the airline had been expected to return the A321neo aircraft, it had retained them instead.
In January 2021, an Airbus A321LR operating Azores Airlines Flight S46865 claimed the record for the longest commercial A321LR flight by duration, which operated as a charter from Lisbon to Bogotá in a time of 9 hours and 49 minutes. The airline surpassed the record previously set by Air Transat for its A321LR flight on 26 October 2020 from Montréal Trudeau to Athens, taking a duration of 8 hours and 20 minutes,[citation needed] but was later surpassed by TAP Air Portugal on 29 March 2021 with its A321LR flight from Maputo to Praia, for a flight duration of 10 hours and 7 minutes.[citation needed]
Azores Airlines operates scheduled domestic flights from the Azores to the Madeira Islands and mainland Portugal, and international flights from the Azores to destinations in Africa, Europe and North America, as well as charter flights. Regional flights within the Azores are operated by its parent company, SATA Air Açores.