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Azores Airlines

Azores Airlines
Azores Airlines Logo.jpg
IATA ICAO Callsign
S4 RZO AZORES
Founded 1990
Commenced operations 1991
Operating bases Ponta Delgada Airport
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer program SATA Imagine
Fleet size 6
Destinations 19
Company slogan The Atlantic and You
Parent company SATA Air Açores
Headquarters Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores
Key people Paulo Menezes, CEO
Website azoresairlines.pt

Azores Airlines, previously known as SATA Internacional, is an Azorean airline based in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel in the autonomous archipelago of the Azores. A subsidiary of SATA Air Açores, the airline operates as the international arm of the regional network, connecting the archipelago with Europe and North America, from its hub at João Paulo II International Airport.

The airline was first established in December 1990 under the name of OceanAir and in 1991 was authorized to operate air transport services as a non-scheduled carrier. SATA Air Açores became the major shareholder when OceanAir suspended service in 1994. It later became the sole owner, and on 20 February 1998 it was re-branded as SATA International, resuming operations on 8 April 1998. The airline's original livery consisted of an all white fuselage with the name SATA Internacional in ocean blue over the front windows, and a dark blue tail with the company logo. Before this the livery had an idealized logo featuring the bands of crashing waves, superimposed by a sun-disk, with the calligraphic lettering "Fly Azores" below. This tourist-friendly logo was retired at the end of the 20th century, to be replaced by the more corporate image. The airline became a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo SATA (the parent company).

Following its bid by public tender, SATA International was awarded scheduled routes from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon, Madeira Island and Porto. Today SATA operates a number of transatlantic routes such as Faro to Toronto nonstop. SATA owns two tour operators in North America: SATA Express in Canada and Azores Express in the United States.

After May 2009, SATA adopted a new brand image and a new logo which was applied to its first new Airbus A320-200, registered CS-TKO and named "Diáspora". The symbol, called BIA (for "Blue Islands Açor"), consisted of nine geometrical shapes, representing the nine islands of the Azores assembled to form the mythical Açor of Portuguese legend. The "açor" or goshawk was thought to have been the bird found circling the islands of the Azores when Portuguese sailors first discovered the archipelago. This form appeared on the tail fin, in addition to a portion located just ahead of the wings on the fuselage. The new scheme was adopted by both SATA International and SATA Air Açores during the fleet upgrades beginning at the end of the 1990s and lasted until 2015.


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