The President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, today said it has "confidence in the board of directors" of the airline SATA and announced that steps are underway for an audit of the company.

"The Government has confidence in the SATA Group Board of Directors and believes that the SATA group's board of directors is able to make the decisions that are necessary for the company's future," said Vasco Cordeiro.

"But this has to happen in time," said the president of the Government, considering that it is first necessary to "stabilize" the carrier's operations and then realize "what can be improved."

As for the possible opening of the capital of SATA International, the airline's chief executive said that the matter is "something that the Government has been facing for some time now."

He added, "it is the public interest to increase the capacity of the Azores Airlines bringing a strategic partner," as it has been an ongoing topic for some time now.

With regards to the carrier's restructuring plan, the chief executive explained that "has been presented" and "is being worked on."