The support regime for air travel between the continent and the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira now has new rules, with changes in the model for granting the social mobility subsidy and changes in the calculation of reimbursements applicable to resident passengers and students.
According to the news agency, the diploma regulating support was published after parliamentary consideration, amending decree-law 1-A/2026 and introducing a new framework for the old social mobility allowance. The same source indicates that the mechanism is now called “territorial continuity mechanism”, and there is no longer a global maximum ceiling for the eligible cost of the ticket, although reference limits for the amount borne by passengers continue to be defined.
Refund linked to the actual cost of the ticket
The subsidy now corresponds to a variable value, depending on the eligible cost of the ticket and its actual use, with no maximum limit on the refundable amount. The legislation also establishes that the value cannot be reduced or conditioned by the type of ticket, whether one-way or round-trip, and the calculation is made based on uniform criteria for each connection.
According to the same source, the request for granting the subsidy must be submitted through an electronic platform, with the possibility of intervention by travel agencies and other intermediaries, with authorization from the beneficiary. The diploma also determines that the validation of support does not depend on the verification of the beneficiary’s tax or contribution status, with the presentation of the invoice or equivalent document for the purchase of the ticket being sufficient.
Digital platform and households
Lusa also states that the digital system will allow the registration of beneficiaries and the association of household members, including ascendants in certain degrees of kinship, as long as they are eligible under the scheme. The same platform will be the single channel for validating and processing the subsidy, centralizing the procedure on the Single Digital Services Portal.
The model maintains maximum reference rates for reimbursement: 79 euros for residents and 59 euros for students on connections between Madeira and the mainland, on round trips. In the Azores, the prices are now 119 euros for residents and 89 euros for students, with old maximum ceilings that conditioned the total value of the eligible ticket being eliminated.
Political framework
The Portuguese news agency adds that the changes were approved in a final global vote with different positions between the parties, reflecting differences regarding the impact of the new financing model for air connections.
According to the same source, when the diploma was promulgated, reservations were raised regarding the elimination of the maximum eligible cost limit, with warnings about the need to monitor the implementation of the regime. The new model thus redefines the way in which air travel between the continent and autonomous regions is supported, with a direct impact on resident passengers and students.
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