The first scheduled flight on the Bragança to Portimão air route arrived at Alvor municipal aerodrome in the Algarve this morning, one hour late.
The AeroVip 18-seater landed with the company boss at the controls. Pedro Leal safely landed the Dornier with his three passengers, a mother and two children.
The flight started in Bragança and stopped off at Vila Real, Viseu and Cascais before heading south through cloudless skies to land at the upgraded Alvor aerodrome.
The head of Portimão council Isilda Gomes was there to greet the pilot and passengers as was the Vice-President of the council, three councilors and some business people involved in tourism.
Local news service Sul Informaçao was kept hanging around also with Captain Leal explaining that the delay of just under an hour on the inaugural flight was normal as it was the first flight.
Isilda Gomes said that Portimão Council, which is in debt to the tune of around €130 million, said the local authority had spent nearly €100,000 on upgrading the reception area at the council owned aerodrome. The Portimão fire service has spent about the same on safety equipment, personnel and training.
The new route has the benefit to the operator of being state funded. A three year subsidy to a maximum of €7.8 million of taxpayers’ money to fly an 18-seater up and down the country has had it detractors especially when the Portimão to Bragança route takes over five hours due to a long wait in Cascais.
From north to south will take two and a half hours, fun for tourists but whether the route attracts custom or not, it will run as it is already paid for in a deal signed by the last government which wanted to link parts of the country together.
The income from today's three fare-paying passengers will be topped up by the taxpayer as the State will be send a bill for the 15 empty seats.
