Saturday, June 15, 2024 The SATA Group commemorated the 77th anniversary of “Sociedade Açoreana de Transportes Aéreos” (SATA) with a nostalgic gesture, offering candies to inter-island passengers to celebrate the airline’s first commercial flight. This act revives a cherished tradition intended to alleviate ear pressure during flights, fondly remembered by travelers. Commercial operations for SATA began on June 15, 1947, at Santana’s airfield on São Miguel Island, attended by over three hundred guests.
This momentous event marked the start of SATA’s journey in providing vital air connectivity for passenger, cargo, and mail transport among the islands of São Miguel, Santa Maria, and Terceira, addressing the then-existing challenge of inter-island isolation. Over the decades, SATA has evolved into SATA Air Açores, now connecting all nine islands of the Archipelago, conducting nearly 19,000 flights annually, and serving over nine hundred thousand passengers. In 2024, it was recognized as “Europe’s Leading Regional Airline” by the World Travel Awards.
In addition to SATA Air Açores, Azores Airlines continues to build on this legacy, enhancing the mission to combat the isolation of the islands and facilitate easier access to the Azores both domestically and internationally. This branch of SATA ensures the connection of the significant Azorean diaspora in North America to their homeland, with over 9,700 flights and transporting more than 1.4 million pass.
