According to the same source, the plane left Bragança today and made stops in Vila Real and Viseu, landing with 15 passengers at 09:10 at Tires Aerodrome, where it was held up as it was not given permission to continue.

Four of the passengers who were heading to Portimão will not continue their journey.

Another flight (with the same plane) that was due to leave Portimão today with seven passengers on board will also not take off, added the company source.

At issue is a dispute over an alleged debt in handling fees worth 107 thousand euros (plus VAT) that Cascais City Council, through the municipal company Cascais Dinâmica, manager of Cascais Municipal Aerodrome, is demanding, but which the company believes it does not have to pay.

In a statement sent to the Lusa news agency, Sevenair accused the mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras, of ordering the suspension of services from Cascais Aerodrome to the operation of the Trás-os-Montes/Algarve airline on Sunday, aiming to “paralyse flights” from today.

The company responsible for the air connection between Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Cascais and Portimão explained that “the reasons given for this decision” by the mayor “are an alleged debt in handling fees”, of 107 thousand euros (plus VAT), which the group considers “not to be owed” to the municipal company Cascais Dinâmica, manager of the Cascais Municipal Aerodrome.

The group “deeply regrets this isolated and incoherent attitude” of the municipality, “which puts at risk the continuity of the air connection, vital for the local populations”, adding that “the Government is aware of this situation and the attitude” of Carlos Carreiras (PSD).

In the statement, Sevenair stated that it “will continue to work with the competent authorities to resolve this impasse and ensure the continuity of services provided to the Portuguese population”, having already sent a statement to the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), the sector regulator.

The company highlighted that, “despite the financial difficulties it has faced and which are publicly known, resulting from payment delays by the Portuguese Government, an increased effort was made to settle all outstanding invoices relating to services provided by Cascais Dinâmica”.

Sevenair also indicated that “considering all the companies in the Group”, this value amounted to 387 thousand euros, at the end of 2024.

“However, of this amount, Sevenair requested clarification from Cascais Dinâmica regarding a specific fee, applied since 2022 in regular air operations. This administrative fee, applied to providers of Ground Handling services, was, in our interpretation, incorrectly applied to Sevenair SA, totaling the amount of 107,700 euros, plus VAT”, revealed the company.

In a response sent to the Lusa news agency, Cascais Dinâmica confirmed that “the services of three of the six companies (SEVENAIR group) that operate at Cascais Aerodrome have been suspended, due to repeated lack of payments”.

According to the municipal company, “the oldest unpaid service provided dates back to the beginning of September 2023”.

The local authority demands payment of the group's total debt of 132,471.95 euros and reiterated that several collection attempts were made, with Sevenair having admitted to paying the amounts owed, in an email dated December 30, 2024, in three successive monthly installments.

“However, they only complied with the 1st installment on 31 December 2024. After several contacts from our employee, in an attempt to receive the 2nd installment, without success, on 19 February 2025, there were new inquiries to the companies of the Sevenair Group, regarding the debt and with a request for immediate settlement in view of non-compliance with the agreement, informing them that they had eight days, after which, and if non-compliance continued, the services would be suspended”, alleged the municipality.

Cascais Dinâmica also considered that, “given amounts owed by companies”, it has the legal right to “suspend services and retain their assets, including the aircraft, to pay such amounts” and assured that, “as soon as Sevenair complies with its responsibilities, the suspension will be lifted”.

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