In 1941, five daring Azorean entrepreneurs wanted to connect the Azores to the world, and to do so, they founded the Sociedade Açoreana de Estudos Aéreos, the forerunner of SATA.
It was a challenging process that took off in 1947 with SATA’s first commercial airline operation in a small Beechcraft that connected the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria in half an hour. The Azores then began to have its airline, the oldest in the country with a continuous operation.
In 1968 SATA starts to fly with stewardesses.
With over eighty years of experience in passenger and cargo transport, the SATA Group is committed to expanding and taking the authenticity of the Azorean soul to new horizons. Flying in the present with an eye on the future, based on values such as quality, professionalism, sustainability and hospitality.
SATA has in its identifying roots the depth of the Azorean soul, having assumed the commitment to combat the archipelago’s isolation. The colors and symbols that accompany SATA’s image resemble the colors of the Azorean sky and sea. Its symbol, composed by nine parts, symbolizes the union of the nine islands of the Portuguese archipelago.
Our mission is to develop the sustainable connectivity of the Azores, and our goal is to be known globally as the best option for travel to and within the beautiful, green and paradisiacal archipelago of the Azores.
Nowadays, three distinct companies comprise the SATA Group, sharing the same values: SATA Air Açores – which ensures air between the 9 islands of the Azores; Azores Airlines – which connecting the Azores to Europe, Africa, and North America; and SATA Gestão de Aeródromos – which manage and maintain four of the nine regional airports in the Azores.
