The Sevenair Group stopped operating the Portimão-Bragança air link on Monday (September 30) due to the non-payment of the service by the State, which has a total debt of €3.8 million.
“The concession contract for the regular air transport service ended on February 28, 2024, and since then, two direct agreements have been signed without the State settling any payments,” the group announced on its Facebook page.
“Sevenair deeply regrets the impact of the route’s suspension on the populations in northern inland Portugal, who will be affected, as well as the fate of nearly 100 workers associated with this route at various levels, including crews, maintenance, and handling. These concerns, along with the fact that Sevenair received no payment in 2024, were the reasons the company continued operations as long as it was humanly and financially possible,” it added.
The suspension of the service – which includes stops in Vila Real, Viseu and Cascais – has been criticised by the mayor of Vila Real, who considers it “damaging to the economy, tourism and mobility of the entire region”.
In a statement, Rui Santos urges the government and Sevenair to “urgently reach an agreement” to resume the air link.
Despite a new international public tender being initiated, with an anticipated start date of October 1, the process remains unresolved. Sevenair has already submitted its bid to continue providing the service, but no further developments have been announced.
