With the arrival of the new Airbus A321, Azores Airlines, also known as SATA, is retiring the last Airbus A310 in the fleet.
And it was exactly the last plane, manufactured in 2000, that made an emotional farewell low yesterday in the Azores Archipelago.
If the retirement of this aircraft is evaluated, it is seen as precipitated, since an Airbus A310 can have a much longer life than the 18 years accumulated until now, especially considering that this aircraft made medium-haul connections from the Azores to other countries.
But the A310 is derived from the A300, a plane from the 70s, even if its systems were well updated, based on the avionics of the A300-600. You see, it is an Airbus that still uses a joystick, something that the manufacturer abandoned in the 80s. Logically, the new Airbus A321neo LR would sur it, with greater autonomy and fuel economy.
In a publication the company said: “Yesterday, there was the last flight of the last aircraft of the A310 fleet, named “São Miguel”, under the command of Cmd. Carlos Moniz and Co-Pilot Luís Brito, and the Airbus A321neo “Sete Cidades” was baptized.
There were two moments of great emotion, which represent the farewell to a fleet that has served the company so well for almost two decades, and the beginning of a renewal cycle with the new and innovative Airbus A321neo.”
