Azores Airlines reveals that the first flight on this route departed Ponta Delgada at 7:30 am and was operated on an Airbus A321neo LR plane, returning to the capital of São Paulo at 4:30 pm.

“The completion of this connection is the culmination of a process in which the airline and promotion agents have been strongly committed. Milan represents a relevant destination from the point of view of traffic confluence and attracting new tourist flows. Milan-Malpensa airport is the second largest airport in Italy in terms of passenger traffic and represents the fifth source market for tourists to the Azores Archipelago”, explains Azores Airlines, in the released statement.

The beginning of the route was marked with a ceremony at Milan-Malpensa airport, which included the traditional cutting of a ribbon and the sharing of a cake commemorating the moment, while the arrival in Ponta Delgada led to an action promoted by Visit Azores at João Paulo Airport II, offering passengers some souvenirs of the destination.

“This will be another winning bet. With this operation, Azores Airlines continues to consolidate the best it has been making on the European continent. Although we are at the start of the operation, the demand registered so far already allows us to envisage a very good summer occupation, where we will count on this investment in a market with enormous growth potential”, says Graça Silva, director of Sales, Marketing, and Communication at SATA Group.

The schedules of this operation also allow connections to Boston, in the USA, with a stopover in the Azores, where passengers can also choose to take advantage of StopOver Azores, which allows an intermediate stop in the archipelago for up to seven days, before continuing their journey to the final destination.

The Italian market has assumed increasing importance for the Azores and, according to Turismo de Portugal, registered a significant number of Italian guests in the archipelago, with 26 thousand guests in 2023 and a total of 72 thousand overnight stays.

Reservations for flights between Ponta Delgada and Milan are available through the airline's website, at physical points of sale, as well as at traditional travel agencies and online travel agencies.