The flights are set to run until March 23, 2022 and represent a new focus by the Madeiran executive relating to the resumption of tourist activity.

“It was negotiated with SATA and we are going to have an operation twice a week, direct flights to New York”, said Miguel Albuquerque.

The Madeiran chief executive stressed that this is a “unique opportunity” to boost North American tourism.

"It's an operation that we all hope will go well," he said, stressing: "Right now, it's a market that interests us a lot."

Miguel Albuquerque indicated that the regional economy has already “began to recover” from the crisis, especially in the area of ​​tourism, which was the most affected, with a hotel occupancy rate around 62 percent.

“The indicators are very good,” he said.