The Portuguese regional government of the Azores has suspended the privatisation processes of Azores Airlines (S4, Ponta Delgada) and hotels on the islands of Flores and Graciosa due to “the current political situation” in the archipelago.
Last week, the president of the Azorean government, José Manuel Bolieiro, called for early regional elections following the rejection of the archipelago’s budget for 2024, as he considered the presentation of a new budget to be “pointless.” Bolieiro suggested the elections take place on February 4, 2024, and called a meeting of the Council of State for December 11 to discuss the matter.
The Azoren government said in a note published on its website on December 5: “The current political situation in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with the regional budget blocked by opposition parties, and the more than likely future dissolution of the regional parliament with the calling of early regional legislative elections, imposes [...] the appropriate decision to suspend the sale tenders for privatisation purposes.”
The executive led by Bolieiro had made the decision to “suspend the public processes for the sale of Azores Airlines and the Flores and Graciosa hotels” held by the archipelago “until the situation is clarified.”
As ch-aviation reported at the time, the Azores Regional Council issued a public tender in March for the sale of between 51% and 85% of Azores Airlines. At the end of May, a June 20 deadline for bids was extended to July 31. The only two parties to submit proposals offered the same price, so the tender was suspended in early August to allow them to present revised bids, which they did. In October, one of the contenders was told to adjust its proposal, while the other bid has drawn the ire of the Portuguese pilots union.
