Members of the Portuguese and Azorean community in Bermuda celebrated the news yesterday that summer and winter-flight schedules to the Azores have been secured.

The Royal Gazetterevealed then that Trip.bm had managed to arrange the flights for this year and into next through Sata Azores Airline, which discontinued its year-round service between the two destinations last January.

Luisa Gonçalves Da Ponte confirmed that the round-trip charter flights will depart from and return to Ponta Delgada on July 27, August 3 and 17, and September 7.

Winter flights following the same route will run on December 8 and 15, and January 12 and 19.

Andrea Moniz-DeSouza, the Honorary Consul of Portugal in Bermuda and president of the Azorean Emigrant Association, said she was very pleased to hear that the dates were confirmed and that many people had been waiting several months to book flights.

She added: “While some have already made reservations through the US and Canada, I was glad to hear that the charter dates had finally been secured, especially for those who may feel uneasy about flying through these countries due to language barriers.”

The Azores is an autonomous region of Portugal located in the mid-Atlantic.

Ms Gonçalves Da Ponte has been in talks with Sata Azores Airline, as well as the Azorean Government since January trying to secure the flights.

She was finally successful with the help of Richard Ambrosio, the Bermuda representative for the Azorean Diaspora Council.

Hugo Pereira, the president of the Vasco da Gama Club which represents Portugal and the Azores in Bermuda, said: “It is great news for the Portuguese Bermudian community and for Bermudians also.

“There is an opportunity for Bermudians to visit the Azores and use it as a bridge over to the Europe side, and also for the Portuguese and Azorean community to come and visit Bermuda.

“It opens a lot of doors for tourism in that sense and to strengthen our existing ties that have existed since the first Portuguese came to Bermuda 175 years ago.”

He added: “I know some of the individuals involved in trying to make this happen and I want to congratulate them.

“It was a lot of work for Luisa and Trip, and Richard Ambrosio who is now with the Diaspora. It was not easy, there are lot of hoops to be jumped through to get to the top individuals at the airline.”

Sata Azores Airlines announced in January it had discontinued its flight after considering factors including “economic rationality”. It had run a weekly flight year round.

Mr Pereira added: “It was very disappointing news when Sata announced that.

“I have spoken with members of the Portuguese and Azorean community about the new flights and they are excited.

“The summer is the biggest holiday for them to visit families and go to festivities in their towns.

“It is a beautiful island just like Bermuda and it opens a lot of doors between our communities and also our governments.

“It’s our hope they remain with these flights, especially through summer and Christmas. It should be on a seasonal basis, that is when the majority have holidays to visit the islands and for those in the Azores to visit Bermuda.”

Skyport also welcomed the development.

A spokeswoman for the airport operator said: “There is interest in the market and we’re pleased that Trip.bm and their partners have taken the initiative to meet that demand.

“Skyport and our partners at the tourism and airport authorities always support efforts to expand air service options that enhance connectivity for residents and visitors.

“We are open to discussions with Sata or any airline interested in serving the Bermuda to Azores route and we would be happy to support it as we do with other route development initiatives.”

Each flight can accommodate 183 passengers and flights are in the region of $1,950 for a round trip and $1,200 one-way owing to the last-minute nature of the booking.

Ms Gonçalves Da Ponte said previously that she hopes to see the price drop in subsequent years to closer to $1,600 for a round trip.

Ms Moniz-DeSouza added: “I hope to see the price of these charters decrease as they are quite high and many people work very hard to be able to afford them, especially when travelling as a family.

“My goal is to have Azorean flights return as regular services to make them more accessible and affordable for not only our Portuguese community in Bermuda but also the rest of Bermuda.

“I am aware that there are a few groups in Bermuda working towards this. I remain committed to this cause.”

Ms Moniz-DeSouza said she would also like to see the recognition of Bermuda driving licences in Portugal and the Azores.

She added: “We have both the Azorean and Bermudian governments collaborating on the driver’s licence issue, and we hope to have positive updates on all fronts very soon.”

• For more information about tickets and reservations through Trip.bm e-mail luisa@trip.bm, stephaniep@moneyshop.bm or leila@trip.bm, or call 292-8747