SATA Holding confirmed that it received eight expressions of interest in the privatization process of SATA Internacional/Azores Airlines, for the disposal of at least 75% of the social capital of the Azorean airline. The documentation is now being analyzed to verify compliance with the participation requirements established in the Specifications Document.
Interested parties who demonstrate that they meet the required requirements will be invited to submit a non-binding proposal, with a deadline of September 21, 2026. This process corresponds to another step in fulfilling the restructuring plan approved by the European Commission for the SATA Group.
The specifications document defines a private negotiation model for the privatization, with phases for qualification of interested parties, submission of non-binding proposals and, subsequently, binding proposals, with a possible final negotiation phase. The document prohibits the elimination of jobs and collective redundancies for 30 months.
Azores Airlines must be privatized by the end of the year, a deadline set by the European Commission, which in June 2022 approved a Portuguese state aid of 453.25 million euros in loans and state guarantees to support the restructuring of the company. The initial deadline of December 31, 2025 was extended by one year at Portugal's request.
