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DALLAS — Today, in 2017, TAP Portugal (TP) was rebranded as TAP Air Portugal, going back to the name used between 1979 and 2005.
The change was brought about following TP's expansion into the North American market, where it was felt that many customers would not have associated TAP Portugal with an airline.
TAP began promoting Lisbon (LIS) as a gateway to Europe for North American travelers in 2016. Flights to New York, Boston, and Miami were reintroduced from Lisbon and Porto (OPO).
History
The airline was founded on March 14, 1945, as Transportes Aéreos Portugueses. Following the arrival of two Douglas DC-3s, operations commenced on March 19, 1946, with a flight from LIS to Madrid (MAD).
In 1975, TP was brought under state ownership, and in 1979, a modernization program commenced. The company was rebranded as TAP Air Portugal with a new livery and logo.
A Further Rebranding
A further rebranding was undertaken for the company's 60th anniversary in 2005. 'Air' was dropped from the title, with the airline becoming simply TAP Portugal. In March, it also became part of the Star Alliance.
In June 2015, 61% of the company's shares were sold by the Portuguese government to the Atlantic Gateway consortium, led by JetBlue (B6) founder David Neeleman. This was subsequently reduced to 45% when the new left-wing government decided to retake majority control.
In 2022, TP rode out the COVID-19 crisis with a €1.2 billion bailout and began work on a restructuring plan to ensure its future.
Find out more in our latest issue. Explore all the subscriptions plans that Airways has for you. From thrilling stories to insights into the commercial aviation industry. We are a global review of commercial flight.
Exploring Airline History Volume I
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
December 2024
