Azores Airlines, a small Portuguese carrier, is looking to further expand its footprint in North America.
Starting June 2024, the carrier plans to fly between Porto — one of Portugal’s largest cities and major tourist destinations — and three North American destinations: Boston, New York City and Toronto. Flights will operate on its Airbus A321neo fleet. Azores Airlines will operate each of these routes once a week, according to Aeroroutes, which first reported the news.
Azores Airlines currently flies to 11 North American destinations from the Azores, an autonomous archipelago of Portugal. According to Aviation Week, the new routes mark the first time Azores Airlines will operate transatlantic flights from mainland Portugal since 2017 after it axed routes from Boston and Toronto to Lisbon.
With these transatlantic flights to North America, Azores Airlines hopes it can tap into the sky-high demand for international travel in North America, especially as Portugal has become an increasingly popular tourist destination.
Currently, the carrier operates routes from Boston, New York City and Toronto from Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores, and Terceira, an island in the archipelago. Azores Airlines also flies from New York City to Funchal — the capital of Madeira, another autonomous region in Portugal.
Flights from Porto’s Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport (OPO) to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) start June 1, 2024; flights from OPO to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) begin June 4, 2024; and flights from OPO to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) start June 6, 2024.
Here is Azores Airlines’ schedule for the new routes (all times are local):
- OPO to BOS: departing at 6:25 a.m. and arriving at 9:35 a.m.
- BOS to OPO: departing at 11:05 a.m. and arriving at 11 p.m.
- OPO to JFK: departing at 6 a.m. and arriving at 9:35 a.m.
- JFK to OPO: departing at 11:05 a.m. and arriving at 11:35 p.m.
- OPO to YYZ: departing at 6 a.m. and arriving at 9:35 a.m.
- YYZ to OPO: departing at 11:05 a.m. and arriving at 11:50 p.m.
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