Azores Safety and Security Report Wednesday 1st July 2026

 

From our correspondent in the Azores

Health Unit on Santa Maria Island equipped with “state-of-the-art” CT scanner

The Santa Maria Island Health Unit in the Azores has been equipped with a state-of-the-art Computed Tomography (CT) scanner, which eliminates the need for patients to travel to undergo the examination, the Regional Government announced today.

According to the president of the Azorean executive, José Manuel Bolieiro, who visited the health unit and equipment today as part of his two-day statutory visit to the island of Santa Maria, the new CT scanner represented an investment exceeding 400,000 euros.

The equipment was acquired under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

“[The CT scan] has a magnificent capacity to perform complementary diagnostic tests and offers greater reliability to the information that is intended to be obtained,” he said.

Bolieiro added that the device, which began operating in November 2025, has performed more than 400 diagnostic tests to date.

According to the leader of the Regional Government, the CT scan allows for “better management not only of the anxiety of patients” undergoing the examination but also, potentially, avoiding travel, particularly to the island of São Miguel and the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES) in Ponta Delgada.

He also pointed out that the service “has no waiting list” and that the CT scanner may even, in the future, assist hospitals in São Miguel in carrying out these diagnostic tests.

It also represents an opportunity for the region to give “practical form” to the strategic will, complementing the capabilities already in place in the Regional Health Service and across the archipelago’s diverse geographical areas, he emphasized.

The investment is part of the Digital Hospital project, supported by the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan), according to the Regional Secretary for Health of the Azores, who accompanied the President of the Regional Government, who stated that the project is already “fully completed” on the islands of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira and Graciosa.

Business owners criticize Visit Azores’ strategy and warn of a tourism downturn.

The Ponta Delgada Chamber of Commerce and Industry criticizes VisitAzores’ strategy of “fewer passengers and more value,” highlighting the risks to the regional economy from the drop in overnight stays and the impact of Ryanair’s departure.

The Ponta Delgada Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIPD) criticized the strategy advocated by VisitAzores, which points to “fewer passengers and more value,” considering that the region is already facing a cycle of declining tourist demand and loss of competitiveness that requires urgent measures.

In a statement sent to the media, the CCIPD (Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Douro and Porquinda) says that it “received with surprise the statements made by the president of VisitAzores, recently published in a national weekly newspaper, in which a strategy is defended based on the idea that the future of tourism in the Azores should involve “fewer passengers and more local value” and which disregards the important role of São Miguel Island in consolidating growth in the tourism sector. This is a wrong view, which leads to the impoverishment of the Region and which we do not support.”

In the opinion of the CCIPD, “this strategic vision does not reflect the reality that the sector is currently experiencing and risks diverting attention from what truly constitutes the main challenge for tourism in the Azores today: reversing the current cycle of loss of competitiveness and recovering tourist demand.”

The CCIPD maintains that data from the Azores Regional Statistics Service confirms a negative trend throughout 2026. Between January and April, overnight stays registered consecutive year-on-year declines: 9.9% in January, 5.9% in February, 2.4% in March, and 12.3% in April, accumulating a decrease of 4.9% in the first quarter. The number of guests fell by 5.1%.

The association also highlights the collapse of the national market and the island of São Miguel, which it considers “the main driver of the regional tourism economy”.

Another critical point raised is air accessibility, with the CCIPD estimating that Ryanair’s departure could represent an annual loss of between 144 and 166 million euros for the Azorean economy, arguing for the need to recover connections and attract new companies.

 

 

 

Azores Safety and Security Report Wednesday 29th April 2026

 

From our Corresspondent in the Azores

Seismic activity

CIVISA reports that seismicity in 2025 was strongly influenced by the Santa Bárbara volcano situation. More than 20,000 earthquakes were recorded across the archipelago, and Terceira was identified as the epicenter of seismic activity, with 148 events felt by the population. In 2026 to date, activity remains broadly consistent with recent-year levels.

Fuel and energy security

The Region has fuel reserves installed locally that are sufficient for approximately one month. These stocks are integrated into the national reserve, which provides roughly three months of coverage nationwide. If required, the Azores can request access to the mainland-held national reserve, subject to authorization by the National Entity for the Energy Sector (ENSE), which manages the system.

Regional Secretary Berta Cabral warned that any interruption in fuel supply could directly jeopardize electricity supply and quickly affect:

• Households and essential public services
• Business activity, including industry and commerce
• Tourism and agriculture

The Azores’ geography increases exposure to supply disruption: unlike the Portuguese mainland, people and goods cannot move by road or rail. Passenger travel depends on air links, and goods depend on maritime transport.

Given the risk of a temporary global fuel-supply disruption if the conflict involving Iran escalates, Berta Cabral has asked the Government of the Republic to ensure the autonomous regions receive priority access to the national reserve, so the archipelagos do not lose essential social and economic connectivity to the mainland.

To support this request, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure sent a letter this week to the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, citing “high instability in energy markets, strong geopolitical tensions and increasing limitations in the availability and price of fuels”.

Quoted by the Regional Government Portal, Berta Cabral called on the Government of the Republic to consider “clearly and consistently” the specificities of the autonomous regions—particularly the Azores—“whose archipelagic and outermost condition significantly accentuates the vulnerability to disruptions in energy supply”.

She also noted that the Azores depend exclusively on maritime transport for fuel supplies and are therefore especially exposed to interruptions in international logistics chains. She described this as a “structural” reality that requires differentiated solutions, specific planning, and reinforced safeguards within national mechanisms for preventing and responding to energy crises.

Berta Cabral added that the Region’s mobility and essential services depend decisively on air transport (passengers and critical goods). In a fuel-disruption scenario, she warned the impacts would be immediate and severe, including:

• Disruption to maritime and air transport
• Constraints on electricity production and regional logistics
• Reduced inter-island and mainland connectivity
• Risks to access to specialized healthcare, energy security, and normal economic functioning

She concluded that safeguarding fuel supply in the Autonomous Region of the Azores is not only an operational issue, but also essential to territorial cohesion, national energy security, and the protection of Azorean citizens’ fundamental rights.

 

Situation Report Azores, Wednesday 4th March 2026

 

From our corresspondent in the Azores

Mini-tornado damages greenhouses in Vila Franca do Campo

A mini-tornado caused significant damage to pineapple greenhouses in the parish of São Miguel, municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, on Sunday. No injuries were reported.

According to the Mayor of Vila Franca do Campo, Graça Melo, the phenomenon occurred during the afternoon in the Santo Amaro area, damaging pineapple greenhouses that were in production. She also indicated that there were reports of damage to the eaves of some houses.

“The mini-tornado affected a very concentrated area, causing damage to several greenhouses, with windows being projected onto the public road,” Graça Melo explained. Municipal services were deployed immediately to clean up the affected area.

The President of the São Miguel Parish Council, Luís Gomes, added that several vehicles also sustained damage, particularly broken windows, and noted that the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.

 

Lajes Air Base maintains intense activity of U.S. refuelling aircraft

Lajes Air Base, located on Terceira Island, has been experiencing intense activity from United States military aircraft, particularly refuelling planes, since the U.S. and Israel carried out attacks on Iran.

On Monday morning, only four of the 15 KC‑46 Pegasus refuelling aircraft stationed at the base for more than a week departed. On Sunday alone, these aircraft carried out 13 sorties. Five refuelling planes took off in the morning and returned in the early afternoon, while eight aircraft departed later in the day in two separate groups, returning to base at night.

Although no official information has been released, the aircraft are believed to be refuelling U.S. military planes travelling between the United States and the Middle East. Departure times and flight durations have varied.

Since 18 February, there has been a noticeable increase in U.S. military air traffic at Lajes Air Base. In addition to the 15 refuelling aircraft, the base has hosted 12 F‑16 Viper fighter jets, a C‑17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft, and a C‑5M Super Galaxy, the largest strategic transport aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force.

On Friday, the day before the attack on Iran, two refuelling aircraft departed Lajes in the early afternoon and returned at night. On Saturday, five aircraft took off and also returned during the night. Several C‑130 transport aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and Navy have also passed through the base. Additionally, a P‑8 Poseidon aircraft, designed for anti‑submarine warfare, departed from Lajes on Saturday.

Carlos Farinha appointed Regional Director of Tourism

Economist Carlos Farinha has been appointed the new Regional Director of Tourism for the Regional Government of the Azores, replacing Rosa Costa, who had held the position since 12 April 2024 under the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure of the XIV Azores Government.

The appointment was announced in Lisbon by the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral. Carlos Farinha is expected to take office on 1 March.

Since 2022, Carlos Farinha has served as a visiting professor at the University of the Azores, Faculty of Economics and Management (FEG). His academic and professional background is closely linked to economics, management, and institutional communication. He is a member of the Order of Economists and a founding member of the National Doctoral Students Movement. He has also worked in marketing and communication for the Azores Regional Section of the Order of Nurses.

Carlos Farinha completed his doctorate in Economic and Business Sciences in February 2026 at the University of the Azores. His doctoral thesis was entitled “Key Determinants of Customer Satisfaction in Tourism and Hospitality.”

 

 

Azores Situation Report Thursday 19th February 2026

 

From our correspondent in the Azores 

 

New Training Rules for Young Moped Riders

Driving schools in the Azores will now provide training for young people aged 14 to 16 who want to obtain an AM moped license, the Regional Government has announced.

Under the new rules:

• Training must be provided by licensed driving schools
• Courses must last at least 15 hours
  • 7 hours of theory
  • 8 hours of practical riding
• Students will be assessed continuously during the course

The Regional Sub‑Directorate of Land Transport will supervise training, organize exams, and carry out both the theoretical and practical tests.

For the practical exam, candidates may use:

• A moped from a driving school, or
• Their own moped, as long as it is insured

Mopeds must meet safety and technical requirements, including:

• Two wheels
• Engine up to 50cc
• Maximum speed between 25 and 45 km/h
• Two mirrors

Young riders must also:

• Have parental authorization
• Present a medical certificate
• Provide proof of attendance of at least the 7th grade
• Pass the driving test after completing the training course

 

Azores Ferry Pass Cost €13 Million in 2025

The Azores Ferry Tariff, which allows residents to travel between islands for €60 round trip, cost the Regional Government about €13 million in 2025.

According to official data:

• €6.6 million was paid in subsidies between July and December
• €6.4 million was paid in the first half of the year

In total, €13.03 million was spent to support inter‑island travel for residents last year.