Ryanair? Angra Chamber of Commerce criticizes statements by the congenre

A Câmara de Comércio e Indústria de Angra do Heroísmo (CCIAH) today considered that the statements made by the congenre of Ponta Delgada on the departure of Ryanair from the Azores “does not correspond to reality” and called for rigor.

In a press release, CCIAH contests the statement released by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ponta Delgada (CCID), following the statements by Ryanair’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, on the departure of the airline from the Azores.

According to CCIAH, it is ‘false and unfounded to associate Ryanair’s exit with the operation for Terceira Island’.

“ Establishing a relationship that does not exist only contributes to feeding divisions between islands, in nothing benefiting the Azores as a whole, nor the development of tourism in the region ", sustains.

The business association also disagrees with the claims made on the easyJet company, considering them “serious and made without knowing the outlines of what is at stake”.

“Materials of this importance for the regional economy require a rigour that, in this case, did not exist,” says CCIAH.

On Wednesday, the CCIPD accused the Government of the Azores of a lack of transparency on the departure of Ryanair, considering that the Regional Secretary of Tourism “is no longer in a position” for the position.

The CCIPD also considered that the breach of the contract with the Irish low-cost carrier results “only from the costs incurred by the Regional Government to impose the operation on the company also for the island of Terceira”.

In the statement released today, CCIAH argues that “it is not for a business association to interfere in matters of a political nature”, adding that the possible resignation of a member of the Regional Government “is a political issue and must remain where it has to be: in the political and partisan sphere”.

“ The consequences that may arise are the sole responsibility of the President of the Regional Government of the Azores and of the personal and political conscience of the Regional Secretary of Tourism, and it is up to the Azorean people, in due time, to make their judgment,” she said.

However, CCIAH expresses its concern about the recent statements by Ryanair’s executive president and considers that “in a sector of enormous relevance to the regional economy, it is essential to demonstrate discernment and competence” to conduct negotiations with the airline.

“If today the tourism of São Miguel is experiencing difficulties, something we all regret, there was a time when this reality applied to the other islands of the Azores [and] at that time, and unlike the solidarity that today is manifested towards São Miguel, the speech was of disregard for the other islands, stating that they were not attractive and that nobody wanted to visit them. The facts showed that this did not correspond to reality,” he said.

CCIAH calls for the debate on the future of aviation and tourism in the Azores to take place with “rigor, transparency, responsibility and respect for all islands” to contribute to “a solution that ensures air connectivity and the development of the entire archipelago”.

“No more bairist and centralist positions calling into question regional unity. No island should be harmed by the others, but no island can grow and thrive at the expense of the others ", supports yet.

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.”.

On Wednesday, Regional Secretary of Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, said she will invite Irish company officials to visit the archipelago, ensuring that “there was no contractual breach by Visit Azores with the airline.