Flights to the Azores: which routes run all year

Getting to the Azores looks simple until you try to book outside the summer months. Most of the routes you will find in travel guides are seasonal, and a few of them no longer exist at all. This guide sets out which connections actually run year-round, which ones only operate in summer, and what your options are if you are travelling in winter.

The year-round routes

Azores Airlines is the backbone of the archipelago’s connectivity. Lisbon and Porto provide the dependable year-round links from mainland Portugal, with regular services to Ponta Delgada and Terceira. The airline has confirmed that its North American network continues during winter, but frequencies and individual cities should be checked for the exact travel dates.

For the 2026/2027 winter, Barcelona, Paris and Frankfurt are specifically suspended. If you are starting elsewhere in Europe, assume that you will connect through Lisbon or Porto unless the airline’s booking system shows a direct service for your dates.

The summer-only routes

This is where most travellers get caught out. A long list of carriers serves Ponta Delgada, but only during the warm months.

From the United Kingdom

British Airways flies from Heathrow in summer, and Azores Airlines reopened its Gatwick connection in June with two weekly departures on Tuesdays and Thursdays, running until late September.

From continental Europe

The seasonal list is long: Madrid with Iberia, Frankfurt with Lufthansa, Düsseldorf with Eurowings, Vienna with Austrian, Zurich with Edelweiss, Prague with Smartwings and Gran Canaria with Binter.

From North America

Air Canada adds a seasonal Toronto service. Azores Airlines also serves North American markets, but the exact winter city pair and frequency should be checked for your dates.

Check the operating dates before you build a trip around any of these. A route that appears in a search engine in July may simply not exist in November.

What changed in 2026

Ryanair withdrew from the Azores entirely on 29 March 2026, dropping six routes and around four hundred thousand annual seats. The airline pointed to increases in airport charges and air traffic control fees in Portugal.

Its Azores network connected the islands with Lisbon, Porto, London Stansted and Brussels Charleroi. The practical consequence is that the cheap self-connecting trick, flying budget into Lisbon and picking up a low-cost leg onwards, no longer works. If a guide still recommends it, it is out of date.

Flying in winter

Travelling between October and May narrows your options but does not close them. The reliable approach is to fly into Lisbon or Porto with whichever airline serves your city, then connect onward with Azores Airlines or TAP. There are several departures a day, so the connection is rarely the difficult part.

Allow a comfortable margin. Winter weather in the North Atlantic causes delays, and a tight connection is a false economy. The islands are quieter, greener and considerably cheaper in those months, which is a fair trade for one extra stop. There is more on choosing your dates in the best time to visit the Azores.

Which airport to fly into

Ponta Delgada (PDL) on São Miguel handles the overwhelming majority of international traffic and is the hub for SATA Air Açores, which operates the inter-island network. The terminal sits about five kilometres from the city centre, a ten minute drive. For a first visit, this is the obvious choice.

Lajes (TER) on Terceira has fewer international frequencies but makes sense if your itinerary centres on the central group of islands.

Horta (HOR) on Faial works mainly as a regional connection and rarely justifies flying in directly from outside the archipelago.

Once you have landed, SATA Air Açores reaches every island and ferries link several of them. The practicalities are covered in how to travel between the Azores islands, which is worth reading before you book anything: the order in which you visit the islands determines which airport you want.

Common booking mistakes

Assuming direct flights run all year. The single most frequent error, and the reason behind most of the questions I get from readers planning an autumn trip.

Leaving too little time between the international flight and the inter-island hop. Allow three hours if you are connecting on the same day. Fog is routine here and delays on the internal network are part of the landscape.

Booking accommodation before flights. With so few weekly frequencies, the aircraft dictates the itinerary. Lock in the flights first.

Getting the time zone wrong. The Azores run one hour behind mainland Portugal and the UK. It sounds trivial until someone misreads an arrival time and misses a connection.

Landing without a car booked. You can manage a few days in São Miguel without one, as I explain in the Azores without a car, but the interior of the island really needs one. In August the fleet sells out.

Frequently asked questions about flights to the Azores