The air service between Portimão and Bragança in the north of Portugal has announced its best occupancy figures since the subsidised service was launched in December 2015.
So far this year, 12,006 passengers have used the service, or parts of it as the route included stops in Vila Real, Viseu and Cascais.
However the occupancy rate is measured, the numbers are up – by 49.6% in the first eight months of 2018, according to the man that runs the service, Alexandre Alves from Sevenair.
The number of passengers carried was 4,436 more than in the same period in 2017, in fact the growth has been seen in each month of operation this year compared to last.
"These positive and growing numbers reflect our commitment to providing quality, reliable and regular service to our passengers.
“The number of people who frequently use the airline to travel from the north to the south of the country steadily has increased over the duration of the current concession, whether they are families or business people.
“We are loyal to our passengers and we are conquering new sectors, namely, tourism. This route increasingly is part of the daily routine for thousands of Portuguese," said Alves.
The route was subsidised for three years with a taxpayer dowry of up to €7.8 million, depending on the number of seats sold.
An earlier service was shelved in 2012 when Brussels refused to continue to throw €2.5 million-a-year at the operator. Portugal’s government stepped in and decided €7.5 million funding over three years would keep the uneconomical route open.
Two adults return tickets on September 25th, returning the next day, is listed at €344.80 with a flight time each way of 2hrs 35 minutes.
