Sata Azores Airlines' route to Ponta Delgada made its Milan Malpensa debut on 5 June.
“The same aircraft and flight number connect Boston to Milan”
Aldo Schmid, head of aviation marketing, negotiations & traffic rights at SEA Aeroporti, defined the debut as “special” for several reasons. “Not only do we have a new scheduled carrier operating from our airport, but it is the only airline connecting the Azores archipelago with continental Europe (Iberian Peninsula aside of course), and it is directed to a destination that is trendy and appreciated by travellers, as shown by the passenger numbers of the past years. These have been in the region of 16-17,000 which is an excellent starting point to make this direct flight profitable. It is also special as, with the same aircraft and flight number, it connects Boston to Milan. In short, a transatlantic flight to all intents and purposes, which is added to the network from Malpensa to the United States, with a technical stopover in the Azores.” 
Starting with two weekly Airbus A321neo flights
This means that passengers will have the opportunity to make a stopover in Ponta Delgada, visit the Azores, and then continue on to Boston or vice versa. "We are starting with two weekly flights between Milan and the island of São Miguel, but we are already studying the possibility of offering daily frequencies. Flights operated with an Airbus A321neo are on Wednesdays and Fridays up to next 27 September,” adds José Roque, chief financial officer of Sata Azores Airlines.
Sata Azores Airlines is represented by Aviareps Italia
The company's plans for the Italian market are clear, as Teresa Gonçalves, the company's CEO, confirms: “We have been studying the connection between Ponta Delgada and Milan for some time. Our expectations for this route are very high, both in terms of forecasts and the flow of bookings that we already have in our system. Azores Airlines (represented by Aviareps Italia) has increased its offer to new destinations, both nationally and internationally, and is constantly growing. Milan is a very significant market for us, with great potential for growth. We believe that this route will not only provide additional options for our passengers residing in the Azores, but also new possibilities for connecting air traffic, which has been constantly using Azores Airlines flights to reach North America and Europe.”
“Milan Malpensa is operating 13% more international flights this summer”
For Milan Malpensa the new route arrives at a positive time for the airport: “Since the beginning of this year we have posted a 12% increase in passengers over 2023, when we surpassed the passenger record of the pre-Covid period,- points out Schmid, -and for the summer season the capacity planned for international flights is 13% higher than last year, with a double-digit number also for long-haul flights.”
