The Newtour/MS Aviation consortium asked this Monday for an extension until November 24th of the deadline for submitting a proposal for the purchase of Azores Airlines, a source linked to the process revealed to Lusa.
The period for submitting proposals ended today, in accordance with the deadline established by the jury, which will have to evaluate the consortium’s request.
This is the second postponement for the presentation of a proposal, as the jury, led by economist Augusto Mateus, initially set a deadline of October 24th, which was later extended until today (November 10th).
On October 22, the Secretary of Finance, Planning and Public Administration of the Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) explained that the postponement was intended to give “time” for the consortium to present an “improved proposal”, guaranteeing the definition of the process “clearly by the end of November”.
“The president of the jury decided to give one more opportunity and extend the time for the consortium to present its firm proposal”, stated Duarte Freitas.
Since then, Newtour/MS Aviation has begun negotiations with the unions after denouncing SATA’s “unacceptable blocking stance” for “preventing” “dialogue” between the consortium and workers, a criticism rejected by the group’s board of directors.
On November 9, the Civil Aviation Pilots Union (SPAC) revealed to the Lusa agency that the Azores Airlines Company Assembly approved, with 75% of the votes, the agreement negotiated between the SPAC management and the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium.