The vice president of the Azores Regional Government confirms that the airline will not be privatized this year. Artur Lima says that the privatization process “will be resumed.”
The regional government of the Azores intends to resume the process of privatising the airline Azores Airlines in the near future, but it will not be possible to complete it this year, the vice-president of the government revealed on Thursday.
“The instructions from the President of the Government are to take up the matter again, to carry out an analysis. Now, quickly and well, there is no one. This year, of course, it is not possible to complete it,” said the Vice President of the regional Government, Artur Lima, in statements to journalists, on the sidelines of the reading of the statement of the Government Council, which met in Vila do Oporto, on Santa Maria Island.
In May, the Azores government cancelled the privatization contest for Azores Airlines and announced the call for a new tender, claiming that the company was valued at 14 million euros more than at the start of the process.
The Government of the Azores cancels the tender for the privatization of Azores Airlines and will launch a new one
However, the only consortium admitted filed an injunction against this decision.
Announcing the cancellation of the tender, Artur Lima, spokesman for the Governing Council, said that the executive intended to “shortly start the new privatisation process of Azores Airlines”, but recalled that the region had until 2025 to complete the process, as agreed with the European Commission.
We have time to launch a new privatization tender and, as we have time and we have a more valuable company, we can launch a better privatization tender, which better defends the Azores and serves the interests of the Azores,” he explained in May.
Asked this Thursday about the privatization process, the government official said that “Very soon, the authorities of the Treasury and Transport will try to continue this process”which will be “the subject of an in-depth analysis” in which “all hypotheses” will be considered.
SATA’s outgoing president considers it important to privatize Azores Airlines
“This is a question that concerns us every day and the Government is naturally concerned about finding a solution that serves the Azores and the Azoreans,” he stressed.
Artur Lima, however, recalled that there is a new Government of the Republic and a new head of the portfolio. “We need to establish relations with the Republic and then also establish relations with the European Union,” he explained.
Asked about the new tender for public service obligations (OSP) for air transport between the Azores and the mainland, the vice-president of the executive branch said that there was still no news, but added that he would resume this “file” in September with the Government of the Republic.
“This matter has not yet been resolved. We will pursue this matter with the Government of the Republic and the Minister of Infrastructure. We have already carried out some due diligence. We know that The Government of the Republic also has its obligationsBut for us it is an urgent matter, because SATA continues to support and pay public service obligations and that is an obligation of the Government of the Republic,” he added.
The Governing Council, which met within the framework of the statutory visit to the island of Santa María, also discussed the proposed Plan and Budget of the Region for 2025.
“The President of the Government has already given guidance to members of the Government on what the next budget will be, which is already being drawn up,” reveals Artur Lima.
Source: Observadora
