Flights between Bragança-Vila Real-Viseu-Cascais-Portimão, that started operating precisely a month ago, have had an average of 5,5 passengers per trip, according to TSF radio.
This occupancy rate of around 30% is considered "a normal value" by the company AeroVip, which won the tender made by the State, which, over the next three years, will pay 7,8 million euros for the concession.
According to those responsible for the company, the months of December and January are, as a rule, the "weakest", so they expected 30% of the 18-seater aircraft to be occupied. So far, 300 passengers have been transported in this first month of operation.
Sérgio Leal, commercial director of Aerovip, heard by TSF, said that "the goal is that by the end of the year this average will reach 60%".
On a journey with several stops, «there are routes where the plane has been, at times, almost empty, with one or two passengers».
The routes from Cascais to Bragança or Via Real are the most sought after, while Viseu and Portimão are growing progressively, but they are stops with less demand.
In this operation there are five types of fares, Premium, Basic, Pex, Promo and Discount with different conditions and restrictions, which have values for a round trip Bragança-Portimão from 86,67 euros or for a Cascais-Portimão flight from 73,45 euros.
Flight WV951 leaves Bragança at 7:30 am, bound for Portimão (where it arrives at 10:05 am), with a stopover in Vila Real, Viseu and Cascais.
In the opposite direction, flight WV954 leaves Portimão at 10:15 am, bound for Bragança (17:20 pm), with a stopover in Cascais, Viseu and Vila Real.
This means that, in the way between Bragança and Portimão, the flight takes, in theory, a little more than two and a half hours, but, in the opposite direction, between the Barlavento Algarvio and Trás os Montes, it takes more than five hours, due to a prolonged stop at Tires Aerodrome (Cascais).
This concession was granted by the Portuguese State to Aero Vip and has a term of 3 years from the first flight carried out, that is, on 23 December. Over these 36 months, the State pays the company a maximum amount of 7,8 million euros to maintain the regular air connection.
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