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4 Departing Cascais with their VIP apron and terminal in view , which is also utilized by Sevenair . |
“ We can confidently say that , even though we are not an old company , we have amassed a lot of experience and become experts in this area of the market ,” Leal said .
THE LEGACY ROUTE : LISBON TO BRAGANCA
A four-sector route covering only 330 miles in mainland Europe might sound a bit unusual and costly to run . However , a subsidy from the Portuguese Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure keeps it viable . Viseu , Vila Real , and Braganca are small cities in the country ’ s hinterland , all with poor road and public transport connections to the coastal cities . Therefore , the government provides support to ensure fast connections by air . Having operated the Portugal mainland PSO route for 14 years , the airline
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has become well accustomed to the challenges of flying in and out of small aerodromes around the country .
“ Flying this route , there are a few scenarios which are worth careful consideration ,” Leal noted . “ There are regularly strong westerly winds which can amount to tough crosswinds with mostly North-South orientated runways . There is high terrain situated around the airfields in the north of the country and , lastly , the runways at Vila Real and Portimão are both quite short , at under 1,000m ( 3,280ft ).
“ Sevenair ’ s secret to operating this route safely and successfully for years is simple . Firstly , it ’ s our very experienced air crews , who have been operating to these airfields for a long time .
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Secondly , the Dornier ’ s STOL characteristics mean that the short runways are not a problem . The cruise and climb performance of the Dornier are also way ahead of other 19-seat aircraft on the market , such as the Let-410 and DHC-6 Twin Otter . Additionally , we have equipped the aircraft with RNP approach capabilities , which is helpful at Vila Real as there ’ s high terrain and the possibility of cloud or reduced visibility in the valley .”
The PSO was initially set up to benefit those business travelers in the north of the country who require quick access to Lisbon . The airline serves around 13,000 passengers per year on the route , many of whom will fly several times per week . In 2015 , Sevenair extended the route to include Portimão on the
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