The President of the Regional Government has responded to criticism over the deterioration of Porto Santo airport by urging the State to treat the renovation works as a priority. Miguel Albuquerque said the planned interventions on the board and in the terminal should move ahead quickly to improve the infrastructure’s operability. He added that ANA has already consulted the market several times, but is struggling to find companies with enough manpower because of the heavy volume of construction work on the island. The remarks were made to journalists during a visit to the José Faustino Mendonça Diogo Unipessoal industrial unit, where he also spoke about air mobility and planned investments for the island. Albuquerque said the State must ensure that Binter complies with the air mobility contract, while admitting the airline has recorded failures that affect the people of Porto Santo. He also recalled the difficulties that existed before Binter took over the route, saying the former service used “a tiny plane” that could not properly handle passengers, luggage, and cargo. The President pointed out that the current operation is based on a contract between the State and the Spanish airline, and said the mobility subsidy introduced by the Regional Government has helped the local economy and made travel more affordable for residents.
