Local accommodation of the Azores advocates negotiations with Ryanair

A ALA – Association of Local Accommodation of the Azores, today defended negotiations for a possible return of Ryanair to the region, asking for an “immediate act” of the Regional Government, after the president of the airline had expressed willingness “to talk”.

In a statement, ALA considers that the public response to Ryanair’s recent statements is “insufficient, arguing that, “in the face of the company’s willingness to talk about a possible return, an immediate action by the Regional Government [PSD/CDS-PP/PPM], the competent regional secretariats and Visit Azores is required to transform this opening into a serious and result-oriented negotiation”.

“The interests of the Azores require that the public exchange of accusations and justifications be overcome and work on a solution”, the association argues, considering that “it would be a serious irresponsibility to waste an opportunity for dialogue due to the inability to overcome institutional differences”.

For, he adds, the dimension of the “problem requires maturity, seriousness and sense of responsibility for all parties”, and the Azorean families and companies cannot continue “to bear the costs of a prolonged standstill”.

ALA also notes that the strengthening of accessibility “should also involve other carriers and integrate a consistent strategy for Azorean tourism”, insisting that “the opening now expressed by Ryanair should be used with determination and urgency”.

The low-cost airline, which had been flying to the Azores since 2015, abandoned the route at the end of March, justifying the decision with airport charges and European environmental taxation, without having ever claimed any breach of contract.

On Tuesday, Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said that in the Azores “the problem was that they broke the contract,” adding that the company “does not do business with those who break contracts”.

“ If it is possible to find reliable people in the Azores, people who do not break contracts, I would be very happy to talk to them”, said, when asked about a possible return to the region.

On the other hand, in a statement today, the board of directors of the association Visit Azores, responsible for promoting tourism in the Azores, stated that “it does not correspond to the truth that Visit Azores broke any contract with Ryanair”.

The association clarifies that “when it announced the decision to terminate its operations in the Azores, it was Ryanair itself that publicly justified this decision by increasing the airport charges charged by ANA/VINCI, with the worsening of air navigation fees and the environmental charges arising from European regulation.”.