Azores Airlines reduces loss 32% to 22.5 million by September

A Azores Airlines reduced the loss by 32% in the first nine months to EUR 22.5 million, while SATA Air Azores reduced the loss to EUR 2.82 million, today the aviation group revealed.

According to SATA’s financial statements on 30 September, to which Lusa had access, Azores Airlines presented a net negative result of 22.5 million, a reduction of around 32% from the loss of EUR 33.3 million in the first nine months of 2025.

During that period, Azores Airlines (which is undergoing a privatisation process) reduced personnel spending by around one million (to EUR 49.7 million) and increased external service provision by eight million (to EUR 178.1 million) and sales by EUR 4.3 million.

By September, revenues from the airline flying from the Azores to the outside reached EUR 264.4 million (an increase of 5.7% over the same period last year), while flights reduced by 8.2% (to 8,430), such as the number of passengers transported, which fell from 1.3 to 1.2 million.

The cost of fuel (which represents 30% of the company's costs) increased 31.7% to 70.2 million, and EBITDA (result before interest, taxes and depreciation) improved by 5.3 million euros to 30.5 million.

SATA Air Azores, on the other hand, suffered a loss of 2.82 million by September, a reduction from the loss of around EUR 3 million over the same period last year.

The inter-ilean airline lowered personnel spending by EUR 19.8 million (from EUR 47.5 million to EUR 27.7 million) and increased the supply of external services by EUR 10.9 million to EUR 57.5 million.

Operating revenue in SATA Air Azores amounted to EUR 97.9 million and sales and services were reduced by EUR 12.9 million, while EBITDA rose from EUR 6 to 9.1 million, an improvement of EUR 3.1 million.

SATA Handling (which is undergoing a privatisation process) suffered a loss of EUR 740,000 and SATA Aerodrome management reduced profit by 44.2 thousand euros to a total of 841.6 thousand euros.

In turn, SATA Holding reduced its loss by EUR 520.2 thousand to EUR 326.5 thousand in the first nine months of 2026 compared to the same period.

In a press release sent to the essays, the president of SATA argues that the companies of the group “maintained the focus on operational optimization and financial discipline” before a “particularly demanding external context”.

Tiago Santos highlighted that Azores Airlines “reinforced commercial efficiency” and “recovered the negative EBITDA presented at the end of the first semester, while SATA Air Azores increased EBITDA and preserved the stability of the regular operation.”.

“ The increase in fuel prices continued to exert a very significant pressure on airlines, but the evolution of the third quarter confirms the effect of the measures adopted ", highlighted the president of SATA.