Francisco Gomes, deputy of Chega in the Assembly of the Republic, reports that he addressed a letter to the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, requesting clarification on the operation of the air link between Porto Santo and Madeira, as well as alerting the governor of the need to review the concession contract currently in force.
The deputy believes that there are “successive irregularities in the operation carried out by the company Binter, which, in his view, compromise the right to mobility, territorial cohesion, and the quality of life of island populations.”
He further denounces that the carrier does not have its own service counters at airports, instead passengers have to contact a ‘call-centre,’ a practice that he says is humiliating and inadmissible in a public service company that serves the people and not the commercial convenience of a foreign company.”
In addition, there is no permanent aircraft in the region, which can result in delays and unexpected cancellations that affect the needs of the population, especially workers, students, and patient mobility.”
“What is happening is an affront to the people of Porto Santo! The government of the Republic cannot treat this connection as a second-rate operation, because we are talking about a constitutional right, not a political favour! The population of Porto Santo must have a guaranteed daily air service,” laments Francisco Gomes.
In the letter sent, the Madeiran deputy accuses the government of the Republic of “closing its eyes to degradation of an essential service and ignoring the economic, social, and emotional impact of the operational failures,” which, he stresses, harm thousands of residents and visitors.
He argues that the concession contract must be revised to impose on the “company the obligation to have a dedicated aircraft, schedules adjusted to the local reality, face-to-face customer service staff, and penalties in case of non-compliance.”
“Our people deserve better!” He concluded,
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
