The President of the Regional Government responded to criticism levied at the degredation of Porto Santo airport. In a statement, the President of Madeira said that “the State must insist that the renovation works of the Porto Santo airport are treated as a priority.”
Miguel Albuquerque considered it a priority to move forward with the interventions planned on the board and in the terminal to improve the operability of the infrastructure. “What we need quickly is to start the works, both on the sign and at the airport terminal,” he said.
According to him, ANA has already carried out several consultations with the market, but faces difficulties in finding available companies with the necessary manpower capacity to carry out the work due to the current volume of construction work on the island.
The statements were made to journalists during a visit to the José Faustino Mendonça Diogo Unipessoal industrial unit, where the minister addressed the problems of air mobility and the investments planned for the island. The minister maintained that the State must guarantee compliance with the air mobility contract by Binter, admitting that the company has registered failures that affect the people of Porto Santo.
Asked about the constraints on the connections between Madeira and Porto Santo, Miguel Albuquerque recalled the difficulties that existed before Binter took over the route, noting that it previously operated “a tiny plane” without the ability to respond to passengers, luggage, and cargo.
The head of the regional executive stressed that the current operation is the result of a contract signed between the State and the Spanish airline. “Binter has the advantage of having larger planes available with more passenger, baggage, and cargo capacity, and, at the moment, it is the contract that is in force between the State and the airline,” he said.
Still, he acknowledged problems in the recent operation. “There have been some failures on the part of Binter. At this moment, this has to be directed to the guardianship so that the contract can be enforced,” he declared.
Miguel Albuquerque also highlighted the impact of the mobility subsidy created by the Regional Government, initially applied only outside the high season and later extended to the whole year. “There are millions and millions of euros that we earn from this all year round,” he said, arguing that the measure has strengthened the local economy and ensured more affordable travel for residents.
During his visit, Miguel Albuquerque praised the quality of Porto Santo’s agricultural products, advocating a focus on niche and high-quality products, such as jams, jellies, soaps, and products derived from grape seeds.
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