The executive chairman of ANA Aeroportos warned on Tuesday that overnight flights at Santa Maria airport in the Azores “only bring costs” and additional losses of 180 thousand euros, stressing that this infrastructure is already deficient.
“Due to the nature of the economic regulation applied to our company, these flights do not generate revenue, but only expenses,” said Thierry Ligonier.
The manager spoke before the Economic, Public Works, Planning and Housing Commission of the Assembly of the Republic in connection with the closure of Santa Maria Airport from 00:00 to 06:00.
Thierry Ligoniere stressed that operating margins at Santa Maria Airport for 2022 will be negative, at around €1.5m, saying night flights have a “non-significant” impact on the island’s economy.
“Operations carried out in 2019 from 21:30 to 06:30 have created in our calculations an additional loss of almost 180 thousand euros for the airport, which is already losing 1.5 million euros,” he stressed.
The ANA president recalled that operators have an “alternative” to Terceira’s Lajes Airport, which is open at night, but acknowledged that changing fees for this type of night flight could allow the company to “evaluate” the solution.
“Flights that ask to resume operation at night have a reason – refueling. Passengers do not board or disembark,” he stressed.
The ANA president stressed that overnight service was being provided through the summer through overtime by airport staff, which “caused a lot of wear and tear” on the teams.
The manager stated that overnight closures are permitted by the concession agreement and that the airport remains “always available” for reopening in emergencies.
Thierry Ligonier recalled that in 2006 it was agreed that ANA (at the time a public company) would receive “compensation” from the Azores government due to the additional period for opening the airport, support that “did not come into play”. .
“There were invoices that were issued but not paid,” he said.
PS deputy Francisco Cesar mentioned the €303 million profit ANA Aeroportos recorded in 2019 to call for the company’s “social responsibility”, recalling the airport’s “importance” to Santa Maria’s economy.
Cesar warned that the decision to close the airport at night could lead to layoffs, saying there were 335 requests in 2016 to open it at night, with revenues of over two million euros.
“We are ready to analyze the documents available to the deputy in terms of the impact on the economy of the island, because our understanding is different,” the ANA president objected.
PSD’s Paulo Moniz also warned of the impact of the decision on the island’s economy, emphasizing that it “is not limited to analytical accounting analysis”, emphasizing Santa Maria’s historical importance in aviation.
Chegi MP Filipe Melo stated that “you cannot ask a private company to bear the losses associated with the development of the island”, arguing that this should have been secured at the time of the concession.
On August 9, the municipality of Vila de Porto, the only one in Santa Maria, asked ANA Aeroportos to “understand the opening hours of the airport” in Santa Maria, recalling the importance of the island for technical stops.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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