“The installation of the equipment in São Jorge is expected by the second week of April. SATA - Gestão de Aeródromos, S.A., is working with the supplier to bring forward the delivery date,” stated the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, in a response sent to the PS/Azores parliamentary group and consulted today by the Lusa news agency.

In February, the Socialists questioned the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) through a formal request about the process of acquiring and installing X-ray equipment at São Jorge Airport, as the situation was “seriously harming” the fishing sector.

According to the party, the absence of an X-ray machine prevents “the export of fresh fish by air, with direct losses for the island's fishermen”.

In the request, the PS parliamentary group also recalled that, at the beginning of the year, it had questioned the regional executive about the restrictions imposed on air cargo shipments due to the lack of cargo inspection equipment at São Jorge Airport, namely an X-ray machine.

In response, the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities explained that the contract for the acquisition of services for the supply and installation of two X-ray machines for the cargo area of Pico Island Aerodrome and for the baggage and hold baggage screening area of São Jorge Island Aerodrome “was signed on March 3, 2025, with an execution period of 12 months”.

“The equipment destined for Pico is already installed, but the equipment destined for São Jorge is still at the manufacturer's facilities,” Paulo Estêvão stated.

The official clarified that the delay in installing the São Jorge equipment occurred because the supplier “manufactured the equipment with an electronic interface kit with the standard STB according to the Smiths Handshake & Result protocol,” but the required equipment for the installation is “a Handshake & Result + Serial interface kit, identical to the one already existing in São Jorge.”

The company “was slow to acknowledge the error and only belatedly proceeded to order the necessary components to configure the equipment according to the specified requirements,” he added.

“The responsibility for the delay lies with the manufacturer, Smiths Detection, which only belatedly […] acknowledged the identified technical error and initiated the correction process,” the official stressed.

With the aim of ensuring the regular flow of perishable goods and minimising losses to economic agents on the island of São Jorge, “a temporary solution was found through Atlânticoline [the public maritime transport company in the Azores], guaranteeing the continuity of transport during the period of unavailability of the aerial equipment.”