TAP Portugal expands African operations

TAP has more than tripled the scale of its operations in Africa over the last 10 years, rising from a total of 22 flights per week to that continent in 2003 to 71 from this October with the launch of two new destinations: Tangiers in Morocco and Boa Vista in Cape Verde.

The number of African destinations served by TAP has risen from seven in 2003 to 15. From carrying 269,000 passengers in 2003, the company grew to carry 675,000 in 2012.

From October TAP will begin offering twice weekly flights to the island of Boa Vista in Cape Verde and five flights per week to the Moroccan city of Tangiers.

Tangiers will join Casablanca and Marrakesh as Moroccan destination to which TAP flies. With the opening of this route, and with the planned increase in capacity to Casablanca, the total number of seats TAP will offer each week between Portugal and Morocco will increase by 50 per cent.

In 2012 TAP carried 47,000 passengers to its Moroccan destinations, a 30 per cent rise on the previous year.

Boavista is the new destination in Cape Verde, adding to TAP’s existing flights to Sal, Praia and Sao Vicente. With the introduction of the twice weekly flights to Boa Vista, TAP will offer a total of 15 flights to the country, rising to 17 in the high season. After Angola, Cape Verde is TAP’s busiest African destination.

During the first quarter of 2013 TAP registered a 2.5 per cent rise in traffic across all of its African routes, with the load factor increasing 2.6 percentage points to an average of 72.5 at the end of March.