British Airways has announced plans to fly from London Heathrow to two destinations in the Azore.
The airline will fly to São Miguel and Terceira in the Portuguese islands once a week (on Saturdays and Sundays respectively), with flights operated by A320 aircraft fitted with 180 seats.
Flights to São Miguel will launch on July 2 and run until September 3, while services to Terceira will run from July 10 until August 28. The 1,562 mile flight time from Heathrow is four hours and 15 minutes, and the cheapest flights will cost £106 each way.
The island of Terceira is home to Angra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the centre of the island still contains large areas of native flora within its stunning laurel forests.
São Miguel is home to the crater Lakes of Sete Cidades, know as ‘The Lake of Seven Cities’, one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal.
The climate on the islands is more moderate and a wetter than other destinations in Portugal.
Neil Chernoff, British Airways ’ director of network and alliances, said: “It’s fantastic to be in a position to launch two new routes next summer from Heathrow. These two Islands in the Azores will be the perfect addition to our network, offering more choice in one of the most popular regions in Europe for British nature lovers.”
Meanwhile, The Azores is aiming to raise sustainability standards and achieve gold certification as a sustainable tourist destination. The islands were the first region in Portugal to be certified as a sustainable tourist destination, when it was awarded with the “silver” category by Earthcheck in 2019.
The islands are continuing to develop is environmentally-friendly principles through tourism in areas such as accommodation options, restaurants, activities, and transportation.
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