Ponta Delgada, Portugal, Nov. 20, 2025 (Lusa) - The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures of the Azores expressed "surprise" on Thursday at Ryanair's statement on the closure of the operation in the region, which it considers "untimely" and which contradicts statements made by its CEO.
According to a press release from the Regional Secretariat, "according to the information available at the time, Visit Azores is actively engaged and maintaining direct and regular contact with Ryanair, which is why the statement issued today is seen as untimely".
Ryanair intends to end all flights to the Azores from March 2026, citing high airport charges and "government inaction", the low-cost airline announced on Thursday.
The Regional Secretariat said that the statement "even contradicts recent news and statements by the company's CEO in which he affirmed his desire to invest in the Azores and reactivate the operational base in Ponta Delgada".
In September, Ryanair CEO Michael O'leary announced in Lisbon four new routes in Portugal for the winter (from Porto, Faro and Funchal) and, according to some reports, the company, which has four bases in Portuguese airports (Porto, Lisbon, Faro and Madeira), had already requested the reopening of the base in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel.
The carrier had previously threatened to abandon the Azores routes, which connect Lisbon and Porto to the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, and by 2023 had reduced the number of flights on these routes.
The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure "remains expectant about the work being done by Visit Azores, recognising that a complex process of interaction is taking place, involving various entities".
According to the Azorean government, "today, as has happened in past situations, there are issues allegedly related to airport taxes and ETS that are alien to the region".
The president of Visit Azores, which is responsible for promoting tourism in the Azores, considered the announcement of Ryanair's departure from the region as a "form of negotiating pressure", warning that the process is not "completely closed".
Unfortunately, we're used to "this kind of statement from Ryanair. It's the way they apply negotiating pressure within the talks they are holding in the regions where they operate," Luís Capdeville Botelho told Lusa.
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Lusa
