Inter-island flights account for largest share of October arrivals in the Azores

Nearly half of the 166,649 passenger arrivals recorded at Azores airports in October 2026 came from flights between the islands. These flights accounted for the largest share of traffic, although their passenger numbers also fell compared with a year earlier. Across the region, arrivals declined by 8.2%, according to the Azores Regional Statistics Service (SREA).

Inter-island flights accounted for 75,576 arrivals, or 45.4% of the total, down 3.2% year on year. Flights from mainland Portugal and Madeira brought 72,868 passengers, a fall of 11.8%, while international flights accounted for 18,205 arrivals, down 12.6%.

The pattern differed across the islands. Faial, São Jorge and Flores recorded increases of 4.4%, 3.3% and 1.1% respectively compared with October 2025. Pico had the steepest fall, at 13%. São Miguel accounted for 96,448 arrivals, or 57.8% of the regional total, despite an 11.3% decline.

From January to October, the cumulative number of arrivals was 151,768 lower than in the same period of 2025, a decrease of 7.2%. October was the tenth consecutive month with a year-on-year decline, continuing a pattern seen since the start of the year.

Outbound traffic also fell: Azores airports recorded 178,073 passenger departures in October, 7.7% fewer than in the same month of 2025. Ryanair stopped flying to the Azores at the end of March, after which TAP and Azores Airlines provided the air links between the archipelago and mainland Portugal.

The figures help track mobility in a region where air links serve residents and visitors. Because they include journeys between islands, arrival counts are not a measure of tourists alone or of distinct individuals: someone taking several flights can be counted more than once.