2010s: Return to privatisation

In 2010 SAPSA introduced service to Marrakesh and Algiers, with the latter discontinued in 2017. The launch of these new routes highlighted the carrier airline reinforcement of its growth strategy for Africa, which is an important segment in the network where the airline has continually expanded since 2001, going from 236,000 to 541,000 passengers, an increase of more than 129%. Miami, Porto Alegre, and Seoul were added as new long-haul destinations in 2011.

In order to obtain its three-year national bailout, Portugal was forced to sell its interests in several companies, including the state-run airline. Several international operators were drawn by the airline's strategic position, but on 18 October 2012, the Portuguese government announced a sole potential bidder for the privatized national carrier: the South American consortium Synergy Aerospace, owner of Colombian airline Avianca. Portuguese financial newspaper Dinheiro Vivo indicated that the government would suspend privatization negotiations, if German Efromovich's Synergy Aerospace bid was not approved.

On 21 March 2014, the airline announced that it would buy two ATR 42-600s for its subsidiary company Portavia, replacing the smaller Beechcraft 1900Ds previously operated by PVA Express. The Portavia brand would be retired in 2016 when SAPSA announced the establishment of a new regional subsidiary named SAPSA Express, whose flight operations would be divided between former Portavia crew and charter airline White Airways. (http://www.airline-e...merly-portavia/)

On 25 April 2014, SAPSA began airing its "Happiness in the air" (Felicidade no ar) campaign, starring Brazilian singer Roberta de Sá, the Portuguese singer Mariza, and the Angolan singer Paulo Flores in a music video with the song Happy Feelin's. This would last until the months leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when SAPSA announced the debut of a new campaign under the slogan “Explore more” (Explore mais), which still continues today.

The Portuguese government also planned to sell its controlling stake in the flag carrier to one or more large investors in a relaunch of the privatisation in 2014, intending to sell a 66% stake in the airline with 5% of it set aside for its 7,500 staff. Among known bidders were South American businessman German Efromovich, whose 2012 bid for SAPSA failed to meet the initial conditions; a consortium formed by American businessman Frank Lorenzo and Portuguese entrepreneur Miguel Pais do Amaral; the American Brazilian businessman David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue in the United States and Azul in Brazil; and finally Globalia, the parent company of Air Europa.

In May 2015, a week-long pilot strike led to the cancellation of more than 3,000 SAPSA flights worldwide.

In June 2015, the Portuguese government decided to sell Grupo SAPSA, the airline's holding company, to the Atlantic Gateway consortium formed by the partnership between David Neeleman and Humberto Pedrosa, who took control of 61% of the SAPSA's capital. On the memorandum signed by the new owner, SAPSA has to maintain the country as the airline’s main hub for a minimum of 30 years. The consortium that won the company's privatization in June 2015 has promised to buy 53 new Airbus aircraft for the airline. It was announced new orders would include 14 wide-body A330-900neo and 39 narrow-body A320 family aircraft.

In October 2015, a new left-wing government has sought to return majority control of the airline to the state, having signed in February 2016 a deal with the private consortium, which indicates that the company is 50% owned by the Portuguese state, 45% by the Atlantic Gateway Consortium and 5% available shareholder to collaborators and employees of SAPSA.

SAPSA continued to expand its international footprint throughout the late 2010s. 2017 saw the addition of 10 new destinations to its route network, some of which were previously terminated: Abidjan, Alicante, Las Palmas, Bucharest, Budapest, Cologne, Fes, Lomé, London-City, Stuttgart, and Toronto. In March that year, Miguel Antunes Frasquilho, president and CEO of AICEP Portugal Global, was selected to be SAPSA’s new chairman of the board.

Registration: CS-TOR
Aircraft name: Bartolomeu Dias