Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal, Oct. 30, 2024 (Lusa) - The regional government of Portugal's Azores Islands said on Wednesday that the expansion of flights between the region and Switzerland strengthens the archipelago's connectivity with Europe and is "a major step" in distributing tourist flows "more evenly".
"This expansion not only strengthens the Azores‘ connectivity with Europe, but also boosts existing routes to the North American continent and promotes economic and social sustainability, directly benefiting the local community," said the vice-president of the regional government of the Azores, Artur Lima, in a press release.
From March 2025, the airline Edelweiss Air will increase its flights from Zurich (Switzerland) to Ponta Delgada (Azores) and introduce a new route to the island of Terceira, the Visit Açores Association revealed today.
In a press release, the Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores congratulates the airline on the expansion of its operations in the Azores, with special emphasis on the new route that will connect Zurich to Terceira island, "a major step towards more evenly distributing tourist flows across the islands" of the Azores.
The initiative, adds Artur Lima, is the result of the work of Visit Azores, in partnership with Lajes Civil Aviation Centre and the regional government of the Azores, "in developing and consolidating air accessibility to the archipelago".
The regional secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures also spoke about the reinforcement of connections between Switzerland and the Azores and the new route to Terceira, and Berta Cabral emphasised that the measure "meets two of the great challenges of the regional government of the Azores, namely bringing flows to all the islands and combating seasonality".
"This is the positive result of continuous work that has been carried out by various regional entities, including the regional government of the Azores and Visit Azores, to develop the region's air connectivity and boost tourism," emphasised Berta Cabral, adding that the new route to Terceira island is "a great victory", allowing "more direct access to the islands of the Central group and entering and leaving the region via different airports".
From the beginning of March until November 2025, Edelweiss Air will operate a weekly service to Ponta Delgada airport on the island of São Miguel.
From May, the carrier will introduce a second weekly service, which will continue until October, and during the months of June to September there will be a third weekly service.
The new route linking Zurich to Terceira Island will have one weekly flight from June to September.
According to Visit Azores, the organisation responsible for the archipelago's external promotion, this new route represents "a unique opportunity to increase the island's visibility and better distribute tourist flows, contributing to a more balanced and sustainable development of the islands".
The aircraft that will make the connections will be the Airbus A320-NEO, with 174 seats and the capacity to carry 2,088 passengers to Lajes airport.
APE/AYLS // AYLS
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