SATA - The Atlantic and You ™

Communication of 14/05/2010

REPORT ON AIR CLOSURE BASED DELAYS

The Azores airspace was close for most of last Saturday to Wednesday morning, forcing the SATA Group to cancel some 224 flights (66 on SATA International and 158 on SATA Air Açores), impacting 14,207 passengers (8,908 on SATA Internacional and 5,299 on SATA Air Açores). On May 12th, SATA had 58 special flights, 22 by SATA Internacional and 36 by SATA Air Açores, transporting some 4,523 passengers (3,207 on SATA Internacional and 1,316 on SATA Air Açores) helping the vast majority of our passengers to get to where they wanted to go, and reversing the issues cause by the closing of the airspaces around the Azores and Madeira, due to volcanic ash clouds. On May 13th  SATA had another  61 flights planned  (21 with SATA Internacional and 40 by SATA Air Açores), or 45 regular flights and 16 special flights (8 each carrier).
All confirmed passengers should be at the airport at least 90 minutes prior to the departure time. All delayed passengers should proceed to the airport at this time or contact SATA.
SATA and it staff are very grateful for the profound understanding of it passengers under this uncontrollable about set of circumstances.

Communication of 12/05/2010

OPENING OF MADEIRA AND AZORES AIRSPACE

Grupo SATA reports that, according to the predictions of the official services, Madeira airspace opened at 00.00 today, Wednesday, and the Azores opens at 12 o’clock.
In this sense, SATA Internacional is planning to operate 22 extra flights, making, among others, the following connections Lisbon / Ponta Delgada / Lisbon; Lisbon / Ponta Delgada / Boston; Lisbon / Ponta Delgada / Toronto, and Lisbon / Funchal / Lisbon.
SATA Air Açores is planning to perform 40 extra flights, including 34 in the Azores and 6 in Madeira. Grupo SATA also informs that the boarding priority will be based on the date of cancellation of the original flight. That is, priority will be given to passengers affected by cancellations of Saturday, 08^th of May flights. Then the passengers affected by cancellations of Sunday, 09^th of May flights, and so on.
All passengers that will travel on extra flights today will be contacted by SATA’s Call Center. Grupo SATA requires all passengers, who are not part of the set of flights canceled as referred above, not to go to the airport without being contacted by SATA’s Call Center.

Communication of 11/05/2010

Azores Ash Cloud Update

The SATA group reports that the Portuguese Aviation authority, NAV, will keep closed the air space of the Azores and Madeira Islands due to volcanic ash clouds.
Due to this, all flights for SATA Air Açores for today, May 11, 2010 are canceled. That means that 21 flights and 950 passengers will be impacted. SATA suggest that passengers look to inter-island ferry service, and is working to increase the number of trips by sea between the Azores islands.
SATA Internacional has also canceled the majority of its flights today as well to and from the Azores and Madeira – impacting eight flights and
1,343 passengers. Yesterday evening SATA was able to take advantage of break in the ash clouds to fly 13 extraordinary flights (5 on SATA Internacional and 7 on SATA Air Açores), transporting 1,173 passengers
(846 on SATA Internacional and 327 on SATA Air Açores). In partnership with the Antlânticoline, S.A, SATA helped to transport 33 passengers from Horta, 42 passengers from Terceira and 334 passengers from Ponta Delgada.
New information will be release at 1 p.m. tomorrow based on the climatic conditions. All morning flights for Wednesday are canceled, as well.  SATA thanks it passengers for their continued patience and understanding under these extraordinary and uncontrollable circumstances.

Communication of 10/05/2010 - Update

Azores Airspace Remains Closed Due to Volcanic Ash

The SATA Group has announced that the Azores' airspace remains closed due to the levels of ash from the volcanic eruptions in Iceland. For that reason, all flight for today, May 10, on SATA Air Açores have been canceled. That impacts 46 flights and 1,580 passengers. SATA recommends that inter-Azores passengers use the network of maritime connections between islands. SATA is working with Antlânticoline to set up extra ferry trips to help passengers in Horta, Terceira and Ponta Delgada get to their destinations.

SATA Internacional has canceled most of its flights for today - all flights with origin or final destinations in the Azores or Madeira. Some 17 flights affecting 2,454 passengers are cancelled. Since the approach of the ash cloud on Saturday, SATA has had to cancel 125 flights (40 for SATA Internacional and 85 for SATA Air Açores), impacting some 8,296 passengers (5,440 on SATA Internacional and 2,852 on SATA Air Açores). New information will be offered tomorrow, May 11 by 1 p.m. Azores time (GMT -1). All morning flights for Tuesday have been cancelled.  SATA thanks its passengers for their continued understanding under this uncontrollable circumstance, and ask that passengers not go to the airport if the flight is cancelled, please.

Communication of 10/05/2010

Azores Airspace remains closed due to volcanic ash.
The SATA Group reports that, in accordance with NAV, the Azores airspace remains closed due to ash for the Icelandic volcano. Because of this, all flights scheduled today, May 10, for SATA Air Açores and SATA Internacional have been cancelled.
Updated information will be offered to passengers tomorrow, Tuesday, May 11th, at 12:00 a.m. in the Azores (GMT -1).

Communication of 09/05/2010

Azores Airspace remains closed due to volcanic ash
The SATA Group reports that, in accordance with NAV, the Azores airspace remains closed due to ash for the Icelandic volcano. Because of this, all flights scheduled today, May 9, for SATA Air Açores have been cancelled.
That will impact 30 flights of SATA Air Açores and some 959 passengers.
Due to the uncertainly of the path of the volcanic clouds over the coming days, SATA recommends that passengers from São Miguel heading to the island Santa Maria use the ferry line Atlânticoline, Express Santorini, with a 10 p.m. departure today. São Miguel passengers heading to Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial can also travel with the Atlânticoline which has a departure for those ports set for tomorrow, Monday, at 07:00 a.m. Passengers can buy tickets at the Atlânticoline office in the Portas do Mar complex in Ponta Delgada, or at the RIAC offices. The Atlânticoline offices at Portas do Mar is open today until 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow (Monday) at 04:00 a.m. SATA recommend that passenger that will be traveling between the islands of the Central Group also use the Atlânticoline ferry.

In terms of SATA Internacional most of the regularly scheduled flights for today have been cancelled due to the ash conditions.  As a result, some 21 SATA Internacional flights are cancelled, impacting 2,586 passengers.

SATA will offer a new update tomorrow at 12 noon in the Azores (GMT -1)  and announces that all morning flights have been cancelled as well. The people of SATA thank all our customers for their understanding as these uncontrollable circumstances are dealt with, and ask that passengers do not go to the airport in the short term.

Communication of 08/05/2010

The SATA Group, based on information from NAV, reports that the Azores airspace is closed temporarily due to intrusion of volcanic ash from Iceland.
Because of this all flights of SATA Air Açores this afternoon have been canceled due to the ash clouds.
All told, 9 flights of SATA Air Açores impacting 313 passenger have been impacted.
Two SATA International flights impacting 400 passengers have been canceled.
Updated information will be offered to passengers tomorrow, Sunday, May 9th, at 06:30 p.m. in the Azores (GMT -1).
As a precaution all morning flights have been canceled as well.