The limitations that prevent the airline based in the Canary Binter Islands from resuming the connection between Madeira and Porto Santo are being imposed only by the Spanish Government, said the Madeiran tourism secretary today.
“Binter currently has limitations to resume the operation, which, in our opinion, only derives from the Spanish side and not from any limitation placed by the Portuguese space”, declared Eduardo Jesus to the Lusa agency.
The Madeiran official gave his opinion on the meeting that took place today between the heads of that Spanish air carrier, to whom the Portuguese Government granted the regular passenger transport line between the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, and the Assistant Secretary of State and Communications, Alberto Souto de Miranda.
The objective of the meeting was “to try to find a solution that will overcome the constraints that prevent the resumption of public air service on the Porto Santo / Funchal / Porto Santo route”.
The note on this meeting released by the Portuguese Government emphasized that “Binter’s officials pointed out that it is essential to resume the service in question that both the Regional Government of Madeira and the Government of Spain expressly exempt the crews of this airline from the general duty confinement imposed both on the Portuguese archipelago and on the Spanish side to all passengers and crew who disembark in their territory ”.
The Madeira Tourism Secretary stressed that, at this moment, the constraints “are on the Spanish side and not on the Portuguese side”.
“But, we are always here ready to resolve any matter that is still within our reach, as evidenced by all the correspondence that we have kept open and permanently with Binter itself”, he added.
Eduardo Jesus stressed that “there is permanent communication between the Autonomous Region of Madeira, through the Regional Government, and Binter itself”.
He also pointed out that there is “a very close relationship with the Secretary of State, which is the entity in the national government that oversees this public contract for the concession of the line between Madeira and Porto Santo”.
Eduardo Jesus said that there has been a “constant exchange of correspondence” on this matter and that, last Friday (May 22) Madeira gave “very accurate information that there is no impediment from the regional Health authority regarding it concerns the immediate start of the operation under the conditions in force in Madeira ”.
The official explained that, if it proceeds as planned, everything indicates that “as of June 1, there will be no confinement in Madeira or prophylactic isolation in the case of passengers who present a negative PCR test carried out in the last 72 hours”. If not, the passenger must comply with the quarantine period.
From the 1st of July, if the visitor is not equipped with the test, he will have to do it on arrival in Madeira.
According to the island official, the rules apply, “naturally, to both crew members and maintenance personnel, in this case mechanics, and passengers arriving with this evidence”.
“Therefore, there is no limitation on Madeira that this operation can be resumed” and those that arise are issued by “the Government of Spain, which have to be resolved”.
Eduardo Jesus added that he had the information that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already involved in the process, with a view to “obviating with the Spanish Government these limitations imposed by the Spanish side”, because “there is every interest that the connection be resumed”.
The official indicated that he had “confirmation by Binter that the line will be resumed as soon as these issues are resolved”.
On March 17, following the covid-19 pandemic and the imposition of forty mandatory passengers arriving in Madeira, Binter announced the interruption of the route, which has public service obligations: two daily flights between the two islands of this Region Portuguese autonomous, Madeira and Porto Santo.
Affected were connections from Madeira to the islands of Gran Canaria (Las Palmas Airport) and Tenerife (Tenerife Norte Airport).