TAP has launched direct flights to Luanda from Porto, starting the airline’s second service to the capital of Angola.
The new intercontinental route from Portugal’s second biggest city will connect the two destinations, with a twice a week service via TAP’s fleet of next generation Airbus A330neos.
TAP first launched flights to Luanda from its Lisbon base in 1957, flying customers to the then Portuguese colony, on the west coast of Southern Africa.
Now the new TAP service will double the routes from Portugal to Angola and offer even more flexibility for the airline’s business and growing leisure customers.
The new flights from Porto will leave Francisco Sá Carneiro airport on Wednesdays and Sundays at 1:30pm, arriving in Luanda at 9:35pm after a ADD TIME journey.
In the opposite direction, the service will depart from Quatro de Fevereiro airport at 11:20pm for its overnight flight, arriving into Porto at 7:45am the following day.
TAP’s flights between Porto and Luanda are operated by a next generation Airbus A330neo model, with capacity for a total of 298 customers, with 34 fully flat beds in Executive Class and 264 seats in Economy Class.
TAP Portugal – Air Portugal Airbus A330-941 CS-TUB (msn 1836) MIA (Jay Selman). Image: 404274.
TAP closed 2022 with a net profit of €65.6 million, an increase of €1,664.7 million on the previous year.
EBIT, including non-recurring items of €19.4 million, was also positive at €268.2 million.
In 2022, TAP carried a total of 13.8 million passengers, an increase of 136.1% on the previous year and reaching 81% of 2019 levels.
In 2022, revenues reached €3,485.0 million, 151% above FY 2021, along with a higher level of activity (ASK increased 94.2%).
The number of flights operated also increased significantly by 74.9% last year, reaching 79% of pre-crisis levels.
Capacity reached 87% of pre-crisis levels, increasing 94.2% compared to the previous year.
Load Factor improved by 17 percentage points year-on-year to 80%, just 0.1 percentage points below the 2019 level.
PRASK in 2022 was 6.68 euro cents, an improvement of 48.2% compared to the previous year and 20.5% compared to 2019.
Recurring operating costs also increased by 73.4% to €3,236.2 million, resulting in a positive recurring EBIT of €248.8 million, an increase of €726.7 million, or 4.7 times the amount in fiscal 2019.
Fuel costs more than tripled, increasing by €756.2 million year-on-year to €1,096.7 million. Despite leading to a positive effect of €85.5 million, hedging only marginally reduced the effect of the increase in fuel prices, which alone contributed €458.4 million to the increase in fuel costs.
Year-to-date, the CASK of recurring operating costs decreased by 10.7% compared to the previous year, down to €7.04 cents. Excluding fuel, the reduction was 27.8%, taking unit costs without fuel to €4.66 cents, only 0.5% below the 2019 level of €4.68 cents.
Christine Ourmières-Widener, CEO of TAP stated in view of these results, that “during the fourth quarter of 2022 TAP was able to generate its highest quarterly revenues in its history and record profitability and this despite continuous operational challenges. For the first full year of the Restructuring Plan, TAP generated an operating profit that is an all-time record for the company. TAP also delivered a very strong positive net income despite its level of leverage.”
Top Copyright Photo: TAP Portugal – Air Portugal Airbus A330-941 CS-TUB (msn 1836) MIA (Jay Selman). Image: 404274.
TAP long-haul Business Class customers can now experience a new range of delicious regional Portuguese delicacies, courtesy of the carrier’s collaboration with The Art of Tasting Portugal.
The ‘Local Stars’ initiative will showcase the cuisine of top talented local chefs and highlight specialities from different Portuguese regions over the next two years.
Each chef has created a bespoke menu – with starters, main courses and desserts – designed to celebrate and promote the country’s distinctive regional seasonal ingredients, which will be served to long-haul Business Class customers every two months, from March 2023 to April 2025.
Starting from March through to April 2023, TAP’s new culinary journey begins in Lisbon with the menu specially curated by Henrique Sá Pessoa, a high-profile Portuguese chef behind the popular and celebrated Lisbon-based, two-Michelin Starred ‘Alma’ restaurant.
His menu will be putting Lisbon’s favourite fish in the spotlight; Grouper. Commonly caught off the Lisbon coast and known for its mild flavour, Grouper stew is one of Portugal’s best-loved dishes and a firm Lisbon favourite.
From May-June the talented Azorean chef, Cláudio Pontes, will take over and promote the island’s finest and rarest São Jorge Cheese.
And from July to August, chef Noélia Jerónimo will represent the Algarve with the region’s distinctive and delicious Octopus dish.
Waiting in the wings with new menus to feature later in the year are Chefs Júlio Pereira, Diogo Rocha, and Óscar Geadas, representing the best of culinary creations from the regions of Madeira, Viseu, and Bragança respectively.
Portuguese catering company CateringPor is overseeing the initiative, with support on sustainability methods, integrating produce from local suppliers and helping promote Portugal’s regional economies.
TAP Air Portugal brings one of its new regional aircraft to life by naming an Embraer E190 after the charming town of ‘Cascais’ – one of the country’s most popular tourist locations.
The municipality is located about 30 kilometers from TAP’s base in Lisbon and has recently become one of the biggest hotspots for international tourists looking to discover the picturesque sparkle of Portugal.
Over the course of 2023, five more of the airline’s E190 and E195 aircraft will be named after regions in Portugal, with the initiative celebrating the six-year anniversary of TAP’s successful ‘Embrace Portugal’ project launched in 2017.
Joining Portugália Airlines, part of the TAP Group, the aircraft will fly under the TAP Express brand on short and medium-haul flights.
TAP Express currently owns a fleet of 16 aircraft – 10 Embraer 190s, with capacity for 106 passengers, and six Embraer 195s, with capacity for 118 passengers.
To celebrate the naming of Portugália’s “Cascais”, (registration number CS-TPY), a ceremony hosted by TAP CEO Christine Ourmières-Widener, and the town’s mayor, Carlos Carreiras, was held in Cascais Town Hall.
An identical model replica of the E190 was presented to Carlos Carreiras as a gift from Christine Ourmières-Widener, representing a token of empowerment and domestic collaboration.
The touching gesture once again reinforces the carrier’s vital role of promoting the best of Portugal, strengthening the connection between regions, and showcasing its culture, gastronomy, and rich heritage.
The new E190 and E195 have strengthened the company’s regional operation, representing a major growth in available seats and frequency to key destinations around the country.
TAP’s popular Portugal Stopover program has been improved with more benefits to provide customers even more opportunities to explore Portugal before heading to their final destination. With the expanded program customers can now choose to stopover on their return home.
TAP customers can add Portugal to their trip with a free stopover of up to 10 days, with exclusive offers and discounts with over 290 participating partners that will help make their visit unforgettable. Offers and specials include hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, museums and countless activities, that have been organized in partnership with Visit Portugal. From discounts on surfing in areas such as Peniche to wine cellar tours in Lisbon to offers to play at exclusive golf courses, TAP’s Stopover program truly offers something for everyone.
An additional benefit allows customers to visit a second destination in Portugal at a 25% discount on air fare, allowing visitors to dig even deeper into the country’s culture with visits to regions such as Porto and the North, the Algarve or Madeira and the Azores.
The Portugal Stopover program is available for all markets in which TAP operates, though was designed with TAP’s key long-haul markets of North America and Brazil in mind. With direct flights from Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington in the US and Toronto and Montreal from Canada, TAP customers can fly to more than 65 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with a Lisbon or Porto, or additional Portugal destination experience along the way. You can find out about the new Portugal Stopover campaign here.
The Portugal Stopover program, launched in July 2016, allows customers whose final destination is not Lisbon or Porto, but who make a stopover in one of these cities, to enjoy, on the outward or return leg, a stopover in Portugal – which can now be up to ten nights – at no additional cost in the fare.
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Top Copyright Photo: TAP Portugal – Air Portugal Airbus A330-343 CS-TOX (msn 1015) LIS (Ton Jochems). Image: 960028.
