Regional Government requests clarification from the National Government on differential treatment in air transport, says Vasco Cordeiro
The Government of the Azores will request to the National Government a clarification on the differential treatment between the Azores and Madeira in air transport between the two autonomous regions and the Mainland Portugal, announced the President of the Regional Government, Vasco Cordeiro.
"There cannot be double standards. We cannot have a certain solution in one Region and different solutions, in terms of State support, in other," said Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government was questioned by journalists about the new scheme on air links between the Mainland Portugal and Madeira, whose costs are based on the distance between both territories, as announced during the Prime Minister's visit to Madeira.
According to the President of the Government, the National Government consider the distance between the both archipelagos and Mainland Portugal as a justification for the increased support to Madeira.
"This criterion of distance makes this differential treatment is even more striking since the archipelago that is closer to Mainland Portugal will eventually benefit from increased support, compared to the archipelago that is farther away," Vasco Cordeiro said, considering that there will have to be a justification for the decision taken by the National Government.
"The Government of the Azores will request such justification to the National Government because there is another situation that also contributes to this situation of unjustified treatment. In the case of Madeira, the National Government is responsible for the payment of public service obligations for inter-island air transport while in the Azores, the Azoreans pay the public obligations of inter-island transport service with the taxes they pay," said the President of the Government.